FOSTER - NOW GONE 🎉 - congrats kiwis

[Gumboot]

Like the idea of moving back to the ball playing 12, but relies on having someone else being able to punch gaps.

Ideally Laumape would keep developing his distribution game and get a kicking game going

Just because he’s brown it doesn’t mean he can’t pass.

What a random comment. Our best passers are Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga, who are both brown. Laumape has never been a creative 12 and has always lacked a world class distribution game. He's a ball runner.

Laumape's kicking game is a work in progress, but it's at least as good as Nonu's was at the same stage of his career.

[Carter's Choice]

Laumape's kicking game is a work in progress, but it's at least as good as Nonu's was at the same stage of his career.

Nonu had no kicking game at the same stage of their careers, and neither does Laumape. I'm sure in a desperate moment he could execute a mongrel-punt to clear the ball, similar to what Taniela Tupou did on the weekend.

[Wild Beef]

Laumape doesn’t need a kicking game with Mo’unga, Jordie and BB on the field. Plenty of able kickers.

[Ymx]

Just warming this up for later ... 7 mins later

[stemoc]

was about to bump this lol

[Ymx]

Just when the ABs were looking solid and cohesive. He goes and cuts the gut out of the team.

[Jb1981]

A 50% win rate .

[Tussock]

Changes didn't work out for Fozzie... BB was anonymous (not helped by TJP) and can we please see a proper fullback at back. Poor ball security and running into contact with little support were glaring issues. Scrums are a weakness at the moment and we should be attacking the lineout (bring back Retallick). Disappointing not to score before halftime. Cane needed to settle down and lead too.

[Wild Beef]

Hard game to judge a coach by imo. Quite a unique set of circumstances.

[Tussock]

Coaches contributed to the selections. When they should have shown consistency decided to change a winning side and paid for it. Need to be accountable for that.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Another worryingly dull display from the ABs under the fat, useless cruiser.

This is not looking good.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Hard game to judge a coach by imo. Quite a unique set of circumstances.

at this cunt.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Coaches contributed to the selections. When they should have shown consistency decided to change a winning side and paid for it. Need to be accountable for that.

Nail head hit.

[Gumboot]

Akira had a good debut, especiallyi n the first half. Not sure anyone's dislodging Frizell from the first xv any time soon though - he's been outstanding.

[Wild Beef]

Hard game to judge a coach by imo. Quite a unique set of circumstances.

at this cunt.

Wtf is your problem?

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Hard game to judge a coach by imo. Quite a unique set of circumstances.

at this cunt.

Wtf is your problem?

Your fellatio of the Barrett brothers and inability to call out shit coaching and selections.

[stemoc]

so fozzie, 2 wins 1 draw, 1 loss..50% that wallaby coaching standard..

[sban052]

so fozzie, 2 wins 1 draw, 1 loss..50% that wallaby coaching standard..

That's pretty bad, imagine if we had to face the Boks this year too.

[Trapper]

A 50% win rate .

Against the Wallabies no less. Jesus.

[sban052]

Would it better to bomb in the next couple of years to have foster fired and competent coach instated, or accept okay results for 4 years?

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Do you think a Scott Robertson coached side would have done better than Bananas Foster's team last night?

I do.

[Guy Smiley]

Would it better to bomb in the next couple of years to have foster fired and competent coach instated, or accept okay results for 4 years?

Regardless of results, I’d prefer NZR engage an independent audit of every aspect of the operation from boardroom down, reviewing every key appointment. If you want to operate a world leading organisation you need to be ruthlessly honest with yourself about your performance.

What we’ve seen is lip service to that ideal amid blatant cronyism.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Would it better to bomb in the next couple of years to have foster fired and competent coach instated, or accept okay results for 4 years?

Regardless of results, I’d prefer NZR engage an independent audit of every aspect of the operation from boardroom down, reviewing every key appointment. If you want to operate a world leading organisation you need to be ruthlessly honest with yourself about your performance.

What we’ve seen is lip service to that ideal amid blatant cronyism.

Good post. You can't just keep selecting assistant coaches to take over thinking you're nailing it with your succession planning.

[Grandpa]

Akira had a good debut, especiallyi n the first half. Not sure anyone's dislodging Frizell from the first xv any time soon though - he's been outstanding.

Do you mean for the 29 minutes he was on the field? He did ok... a shame for him he suffered for indiscretions of another... specially as I still don't think Frizzell is the answer.

[Enzedder]

I forgot to post the other day, but as a key mart of Fozzie's brainstrust, Grant Fox put in a particularly petulant shift on the Breakdown the other night. The questions deserved to be asked, yet he was a proper 'Trump' when it came to the initial responses. He bristled like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

Odd, considering he was the one intelligent rugger player back when there were precious few around.

Looking at what we did last night, I would venture to guess we still have a shortage of collective smarts

[obelixtim]

40 point turnaround in the space of a week.

Selected 8 players with 11 tests between them, 7 who were on the bench, with the other being DMac. Front row total rookies at the end.

Fozzie treats a test match as a trial match. Bloody idiot.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

40 point turnaround in the space of a week.

Selected 8 players with 11 tests between them, 7 who were on the bench, with the other being DMac. Front row total rookies at the end.

Fozzie treats a test match as a trial match. Bloody idiot.

Hard to argue with that.

[wet-socks]

I agree.

[Enzedder]

The worst aspect of the game was the lack of intelligence shown by players when cool heads were needed (Reece and Barrett especially). Used to be we had a lot of rugby nous in our sides (and you didn't get in without it.

We have seen so much dumb stuff this season that I guess it is no longer a requirement.

[mrbrownstone]

Many of us feared Foster stamping his own unique imprint on the team when he was announced. Unfortunately, if last night was anything to go by, it's even worse - we've learned nothing from last year and are getting more of the same Hansen malaise.

So far this year we've named 3 different midfields in 4 tests, 3 different back threes, 3 different loose forward trios, 3 different lock pairs, and 4 different front rows.

Admittedly some of that is injury related, but it just shows that we've learnt nothing from our mistakes at the world cup, where the only established combination we went in with was our locking pair.

Just as the team was starting to gain momentum in Sydney, we chop and change and go back to square one. At test level, cohesion is more important than selecting the 'right' players, which is why it has often looked like the Crusaders are playing better rugby than the All Blacks recently (relative to their level of competition of course) - because there are clear, established combinations and systems.

FOSTER OUT!

[mrbrownstone]

Good to hear he's learned sweet fuck all. Absolutely infuriating to read.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster knows the critics will be circling after his much-changed side spluttered to a 24-22 loss in the fourth Bledisloe test, but as he dissected the game on Sunday his message was clear: “I have no regrets.”

“I've got to take some of this on the chin, because I put some new combinations out on the park,” Foster said.

“The likes of Ngani [Laumape] haven't played for a long time, and I know that.

“But we just felt that this tour was about giving people opportunities, and so I've got no regrets.

“But we certainly looked a bit clunky in our collective decision making but I think we'll be better for that, when they have a bit more time under the belt.”

Foster's admission that the All Blacks were using the Tri Nations as a quasi-development tour showed the difficult course they were trying to navigate in Brisbane.

[el camino]

If the goal is to blood new players why tf do so many at the same time!? I don't think Laumape was that bad - especially with how shit TJ and Beauden were inside him. He didn't have a great game but at least 3 other backs were way worse)

Gutted for Will Jordan - hope we get to see him against Argentina.

Has AC commented on Akira's performance yet? Hard to judge off the short time but I thought he was the best loose forward while he was out there.

[Carter's Choice]

Has AC commented on Akira's performance yet? Hard to judge off the short time but I thought he was the best loose forward while he was out there.

Akira Ioane didn't stink, but I don't think he was as dominant as some North Island based posters are making out in his 29 mins on the field. I think he's a no.8 rather than a blindside flanker, because his greatest asset is his ball running ability. The AB's current structure requires a hardworking toiler at blindside flanker, and that's not Akira Ioane's style of play. No.6 was a work in progress for the entirety of the last RWC cycle, and with just two tests to go in 2020 it remains a work in progress. The Wallabies seem to be producing much better no.6's than we are right now

[el camino]

Has AC commented on Akira's performance yet? Hard to judge off the short time but I thought he was the best loose forward while he was out there.

Akira Ioane didn't stink, but I don't think he was as dominant as some North Island based posters are making out in his 29 mins on the field. I think he's a no.8, not a blindside flanker, because his greatest asset is his ball running ability. The AB's current structure requires a hardworking toiler at blindside flanker, and that's not Akira Ioane's style of play. No.6 was a work i progress for the entirety of the last RWC cycle, and with just two tests to go in 2020 it remains a work in progress. The Wallabies seem to be producing much better no.6's than we are right now

Fair point. It would have been interesting to see how he handled the match as it descended into handbags at every stoppage after he went off

[Gumboot]

Has AC commented on Akira's performance yet? Hard to judge off the short time but I thought he was the best loose forward while he was out there.

Akira Ioane didn't stink, but I don't think he was as dominant as some North Island based posters are making out in his 29 mins on the field. I think he's a no.8 rather than a blindside flanker, because his greatest asset is his ball running ability. The AB's current structure requires a hardworking toiler at blindside flanker, and that's not Akira Ioane's style of play. No.6 was a work in progress for the entirety of the last RWC cycle, and with just two tests to go in 2020 it remains a work in progress. The Wallabies seem to be producing much better no.6's than we are right now

Agree that Akira is more suited to no.8. If anything, I think it shows Frizell is the better prospect to nail down no.6. We should stick with him, imho.

[Carter's Choice]

Agree that Akira is more suited to no.8. If anything, I think it shows Frizell is the better prospect to nail down no.6. We should stick with him, imho.

Frizell has all the physical characteristics required to be an effective test match no.6, and was in great form during Super Rugby Aotearoa. However, even his most passionate fans would have to concede that he has not carried that form over to the test arena. He appears to lack one key ingredient, aggression. He appears to be very passive, but this could simply be a lack of confidence.

Moving forward Foster will need to decide whether or not Frizell has shown enough to be persisted with. I'm not sure Akira Ioane is a superior blindside flanker to Shannon Frizell. I personally think that both Tom Robinson or Cullen Grace would be better options. Keeping in mind that with Ardie Savea and Sam Cane at 7 and 8, we need a genuine lineout option at no.6.

Whatever option Foster goes with he needs to make a decision quickly. He and his fellow AB selectors wasted the entire last four year RWC cycle trying to find a permanent 6 and they never did. They experimented with Liam Squire, Elliot Dixon, Vaea Fifita and Shannon Frizell at blindside flanker, but come RWC time they still had no-one settled and that position - hence the Scott Barrett debacle.

[Gumboot]

Moving forward Foster will need to decide whether or not Frizell has shown enough to be persisted with. I'm not sure Akira Ioane is a superior blindside flanker to Shannon Frizell. I personally think that both Tom Robinson or Cullen Grace would be better options. Keeping in mind that with Ardie Savea and Sam Cane at 7 and 8, we need a genuine lineout option at no.6.

Whatever option Foster goes with he needs to make a decision quickly. He and his fellow AB selectors wasted the entire last four year RWC cycle trying to find a permanent 6 and they never did. They experimented with Liam Squire, Elliot Dixon, Vaea Fifita and Shannon Frizell at blindside flanker, but come RWC time they still had no-one settled and that position - hence the Scott Barrett debacle.

Squire was our RWC 6 but he bailed at short notice. His replacement Jacobson then got concussed and Frizell was called up at the last minute. He played well but wasn't trusted to start against England - hence the Scott Barrett debacle. A year later, Frizell is still the best blindside on offer, imo.

[Carter's Choice]

Moving forward Foster will need to decide whether or not Frizell has shown enough to be persisted with. I'm not sure Akira Ioane is a superior blindside flanker to Shannon Frizell. I personally think that both Tom Robinson or Cullen Grace would be better options. Keeping in mind that with Ardie Savea and Sam Cane at 7 and 8, we need a genuine lineout option at no.6.

Whatever option Foster goes with he needs to make a decision quickly. He and his fellow AB selectors wasted the entire last four year RWC cycle trying to find a permanent 6 and they never did. They experimented with Liam Squire, Elliot Dixon, Vaea Fifita and Shannon Frizell at blindside flanker, but come RWC time they still had no-one settled and that position - hence the Scott Barrett debacle.

Squire was our RWC 6 but he bailed at short notice. His replacement Jacobson then got concussed and Frizell was called up at the last minute. He played well but wasn't trusted to start against England - hence the Scott Barrett debacle. A year later, Frizell is still the best blindside on offer, imo.

Frizell made his debut back in 2018, so he'd been in the system for a while.

[Gumboot]

Frizell made his debut back in 2018, so he'd been in the system for a while.

Slow burner, a la Kaino.

[Carter's Choice]

Frizell made his debut back in 2018, so he'd been in the system for a while.

Slow burner, a la Kaino.

Let's hope so. If that's what Foster thinks then he should start him at 6 for the next 18 months.