British rugby writer Stephen Jones has labelled new All Blacks coach Ian Foster "minuscule" on the global stage in the Sunday Times article pondering why there was so little interest in such a big job.
England bundling New Zealand out of the Rugby World Cup hailed the end of an era, Jones said.
LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF
Ian Foster has been appointed All Blacks coach.
The world waited to see how New Zealand Rugby would respond, and it responded with Ian Foster.
"Foster has been a dutiful member of Hansen's back room but has negligible experience outside the hothouse of New Zealand rugby. Certainly, in profile he is minuscule on the global stage," said Jones.
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"But if the New Zealand job is indeed "the most important coaching job in world rugby", as one professional fan insisted in New Zealand recently, then why did only two people want to do it?"
And why did only 22 per cent of Kiwis indicate their support for Foster, with a whopping 78 per cent wanted Scott Robertson, Jones asked.
GETTY IMAGES
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson will need to contemplate his future.
Robertson's resolve to stay at home would be tested by "an exploratory phone call or two and a significant series of zeros at the end of the offer", Jones predicted.
"New Zealand coaches have dominated the world of rugby for a long time and this is an eloquent tribute to the sport in New Zealand - to the clarity and lack of pomposity they bring to their positions.
GETTY IMAGES
Ben Smith's son Walter Smith plays with Ian Foster in Tokyo.
"It is that clarity which in large parts has helped New Zealand to be so good, because the basic skills and the basic grasp of what elite rugby entails is ingrained in them.
"But does there come a point when the excellence is so marked that the cupboard is bare, and all you have managed to do with your inward-looking selection policy is denude dangerously your own cupboard and send over a feast to your rivals?
"New Zealand's conveyor belt has not worked nearly so well in recent seasons. When the World U20 competition began it was dominated by New Zealand but the emerging Kiwis have won the tournament only once in the past four seasons, with South Africa, England and France taking over."
LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF
New All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, shakes the hand of New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson.
Jones pointed to potentional future difficulties for New Zealand. While it dominated Super Rugby, both the Australia and South African clubs had little to offer.
And as for players, he noted "Hansen's legacy included the controversial move of the talented fly-half Beauden Barrett to full-back, and the advent of some distinctly ordinary-looking midfield backs and mediocre front-five back-up men".
RAGHAVAN VENUGOPAL
Scott Robertson was the only challenger for the big job.
While Jones felt Foster would be a hard-headed, forthright and effective operator the world would know New Zealand were vulnerable.
"The lack of passion for the national post in the hearts and minds of the current coaching fraternity produced by New Zealand suggests the black throne can also be deemed a bed of nails," he said.
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December 15, 2019 at 02:23PM
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All Blacks coach Ian Foster 'minuscule', says British rugby writer Stephen Jones - Stuff.co.nz
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