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Ian Foster says he won’t let some heated criticism come to him after back-to-back test losses have pushed the All Blacks this season off the proverbial cliff. He’s also not allowing her to sway some firm picks.
Last test, the All Blacks backline had no answers for a powerfully effective Argentine defensive wall as they sank in their first loss to the South Americans who had not played since the World Cup more than 13 months earlier.
Not only was New Zealand’s rear unit ineffective that night in Parramatta, but they were also met with tactical fouls as they did not respond to the lack of running space provided by a Pumas side that brought all the intensity and the effort.
Two weeks later, Foster sends the exact same bottom line to face the Argentines in their season, and Tri-Nations, swan song, and he makes no apologies for it. That includes Jordie Barrett’s continued selection on the right wing, when many critics have questioned his effectiveness there in a position where he rarely plays outside of the All Black milieu.
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* All Blacks vs Argentina: It’s about discipline, says optimistic Beauden Barrett
All three changes to Foster’s starting lineup come to the fore, with Akira Ioane getting a well-deserved opportunity at No. 6, Scott Barrett replacing Patrick Tuipulotu at the block and Nepo Lauala switching to starting service as a tight-headed mainstay.
Barrett, along with skipper Sam Cane, will be the only All Black to start all six tests this season when it runs out in Newcastle on Saturday night. Five of them have been wearing the number 14 jersey.
He has scored three attempts this season, but other figures suggest his impact has not been blinding. In the 25-15 loss to Argentina, Barrett ran six feet on three carries. The previous test (a 24-22 loss to the Wallabies), when he played at his favorite fullback spot, he managed just 15 meters in 10 runs.
That’s 17 meters on 13 carries at a 1.3m average run in his last two tests. In three of his five starts this year he has made 15 million or less, and has 170 meters to his name on 33 carries (to 5.15 million pop) during the season.
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Foster said he has received support from former All Blacks and the staff after their back-to-back losses.
Foster has Sevu Reece and Will Jordan (benched Saturday), who could have moved to right wing and could have moved Jordie Barrett to fullback as well, where his brother Beauden has another start Saturday. But he stood firm, on his team name zoom call on Thursday, that his team received better service with young Barrett in the number 14 jersey, despite a concession, the bottom line did not reach the mark at the last outing.
“Frankly, we didn’t get what we wanted from that group,” Foster said of his bottom line. “We just feel like they’ve spent time together, a lot of learnings since [last test], and we modified a couple of things in the bank with the return of TJ [Perenara] and Will Jordan entering.
“It’s a vote of confidence in that group, but also with pressure for us to really work to improve our choice making.”
It may be unfair to single out Jordie Barrett. Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett’s tactical play, Foster said, proved insufficient last time out. The midfield was also ineffective. Even fit Caleb Clarke (65 yards on 14 carries) couldn’t find the holes when it mattered.
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The All Blacks team will play Argentina in their last game of the 2020 season.
“We have to create space,” added the coach. “We didn’t put any of our wings on a lot of outfield opportunities last time. The first three tests Jordie scored three tries and managed especially well on the right wing. We felt he was not at his best as a fullback in Brisbane, but we are confident in his kicking and decision-making game with his brother at the back.
“Wing performance is often indicative of how well our midfield is seeing inside space and how well it is receiving the ball forward. That’s where it has to start. “
Additionally, Foster admitted that kicking was a “factor” in Barrett’s selection. You can knock them down from the middle, and that’s clearly reassuring.
The coach also indicated that neither the midfield, nor its two playmakers, had obtained passing marks from the Pumas defeat. He said Beauden Barrett and Mo’unga “hadn’t been clear enough” in their decision-making, and midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown-Jack Goodhue has to “work to see the opportunities.”
Expect more pickers behind when that blue and white defensive wall can be numbered and extended.
In terms of the heat Foster has faced after back-to-back losses, the first-year boss indicated he was holding up well.
“You get what you get in this business and no one else defines who you are and what you believe in,” he said. “We have standards that we want to meet, and when we don’t get to that level, it will hit me, and I understand that.
“When you lose, there is a lot of negativity around, and I understand that. But behind the scenes there is a lot of support from the former All Blacks, people who see what’s going on and know what it’s like. “
If Foster wants that endorsement to extend to his wider community, he needs his players to deliver on Saturday. He has certainly shown faith in them.
