Gallo Images/Getty Images
Springboks Lukhanyo Am and Damien Willemse try to restrain Caleb Clarke during the test in Johannesburg All Blacks wing. The All Blacks won 35-23.
Ian Foster says he has “no idea” whether he will still be in charge of the All Blacks when they face Argentina in a fortnight’s time in the Rugby Championship match in Christchurch.
After watching the All Blacks stun the Springboks 35-23 world champion in Johannesburg on Sunday morning, Foster told Sky Sport he was unsure whether he would continue as the team’s coach.
Leading up to the epic victory in front of 62,000 fans at Ellis Park, he was under immense pressure to keep his job after the squad lost five of their last six tests.
READ MORE:
* All Blacks: Veterans give Ian Foster the full deck, but loyalty can be tested
* Stephen Jones: Are the All Blacks gone, poor dears?
* Can Ian Foster’s All Blacks turn things around after a tough 2021?
“I have no idea, I’m just going to enjoy tonight,” Foster told Sky Sport when asked if he would still coach the All Blacks when they play against Argentina.
Before the team left for their two tests in South Africa, NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson declined to say whether Foster would still coach if the All Blacks faltered in the Republic.
Following the 26-10 defeat to the Springboks in Mbombela last weekend, the investigation into Foster intensified and a loss at Ellis Park may have led NZ Rugby to ask Foster if he still believed he was the right man to carry on. to go.
Defeats to Ireland and France in November, followed by the 2-1 series defeat to Ireland in New Zealand, had led Foster to meet with his NZ Rugby bosses to discuss the team’s performance prior to leaving for the Republic .
Robinson had labeled the loss of the series to Ireland as “unacceptable”.
After the win at the Springboks, Foster said it was a great relief to see the team turn its fortunes around.
“It’s never easy when you’ve had a few losses, but so proud,” Foster told Sky Sport. “Just so proud of the effort. It’s swings and roundabouts… they stuck and ended strong.”
Late attempts by Scott Barrett and David Havili secured the All Blacks a memorable victory, with the former dashing across the try-line shortly before the final horn to put the result beyond doubt.
Themba Hadebe/AP
All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock secures lineout ball in the team’s 35-23 win over the Springboks.
The question now is whether Foster has done enough to convince NZ Rugby that he should be retained in the role he has held since replacing Sir Steve Hansen after the 2019 World Cup.
Foster said he’s seen enough shifts in the All Blacks’ performance over the weekend to give him confidence that they can disrupt the rematch in Jo’burg.
After the game in Mbombela, he said that despite the defeat, it was the best performance of the year.
“I know I was kind of taken aback for saying that last week after the loss, but we made a big shift last week through our front pack,” said Foster.
“The work (attacking coach) Jason Ryan has done there has been strong, and I really felt like we created some chances. We wanted it so badly that we rush things. While we just had more patience today.”
Foster made four changes to the team that started in Mbombela. Bringing Richie Mo’unga to 10th place ahead of Beauden Barrett, who came out of the game and was shown a yellow card late in the game for obstruction, helped reverse the team’s fate.
Props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax put in fine efforts against the Boxing pack, and blindside flanker Shannon Frizell also produced a big shift.