[ad_1]
All Blacks coach Ian Foster admitted he was disappointed that his team did not handle the provocations of the Wallabies during their loss in Brisbane.
Just a week after beating the Wallabies by a record margin, the All Blacks fell to a 24-22 loss in the fourth and final test match of the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday.
Both sides had a player with a red and yellow card, and there were times when spirits threatened to spill over.
WATCH: All Blacks and Wallabies Red Cards
All Blacks mainstay Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Wallabies rookie Lachie Swinton received red cards in the first half for similar dangerous tackles, but the bludgeoning blow for New Zealand came when they lost Scott Barrett by one card. yellow in the last 12 minutes of the game. match.
Barrett received a yellow card in the 68th minute for a cynical foul after the TMO found he had knocked the ball out of the hands of Australian scrum-half Nic White, only the Wallabies were attacking from a fault.
“In the second half we were not as disciplined as we needed to be,” Foster said Sunday, after having time to review the incidents. “They pushed us in the areas and provoked us in the areas, and again that is a tactic that teams use against us, and a good one for them.
We have to be better than that and smarter than that. We hit some kickable penalties. And then that yellow was on top of that and it probably just reflected a bit of frustration when there didn’t have to be any frustration. ‘
Foster’s comments echoed the All Blacks’ reaction to their 16-16 draw with the Wallabies in the first round of the Bledisloe Cup, after which the New Zealanders said the referee did not do enough to punish the blows. no ball inflicted by the Wallabies.
Following the Wallabies’ victory, several former players criticized the number of cards being dealt in Brisbane, but Foster argued that the referee has yet to set clear limits.
“It was a game played to the limit. Everyone could see that. There was a lot of intention, a lot of physicality from both teams. Some of that borders the margins that open people up to punishment.
Frankly, that reminded us a bit of the first test in Wellington. So when people start talking about “You don’t need cards” and all that. I understand that argument up to a point.
“The flip side is that it’s a very physical game, and if we don’t have clear boundaries, it becomes really difficult for everyone to play the skillful game they need.”
HIGHLIGHTS: Wallabies vs All Blacks
Photo: Jono Searle / Getty Images
[ad_2]
