New Zealand media lights all blacks ‘not equal’

After the heavy defeat of New Zealand against the fifteenth of France (40-25) on Saturday evening at the Stade de France, the New Zealand press was not kind to its players as well as to coach Ian Foster.

The All Blacks must do their own research after being overwhelmed by France on Saturday, a defeat that ends their worst year since 2009 and piles more pressure on their manager Ian Foster, the New Zealand press estimated on Sunday. After losing 40-25 to the Blues, the New Zealanders finished 2021 with 12 wins and three losses, their worst record in 12 years (14-4), when the Ferns played under the orders of Graham Henry. “There will be a lot of questions to ask,” said Jimmy Wall on Radio New Zealand after the team they were beaten last Saturday in Ireland (29-20).

Covid-related health restrictions have forced Ian Foster’s team to take their last nine tests in 12 weeks away from home, but New Zealand media say the problems go beyond fatigue from long flights. “Rugby is in a new world order and right now the All Blacks just can’t do it,” Mark Hinton wrote on the Stuff news site, deeming the team “officially in free fall” unless there are two years from the 2023 World Cup in France. .

“The problem with the All Blacks is that the rest of the world no longer fears them.”

New Zealand Herald rugby columnist Gregor Poole believed that “the All Blacks have a number of undeniable problems, many of which run too deep to be attributed to fatigue at the end of a difficult year”. “The problem with the All Blacks is that the rest of the world no longer fears them, because there is no reason to be afraid,” he added, criticizing the “confused” game plan. “The vulnerabilities exposed by France have been exploited a lot this season, leaving huge concerns about the All Blacks’ ability to sort out the problems from week to week,” said Liam Napier of the New Zealand Herald.

This is the Blacks’ fifth defeat in 21 matches since Foster took over from Steve Hansen after the 2019 World Cup. Originally appointed for two years, it was extended in 2020 until the 2023 World Cup in France – a “somewhat premature” decision Mark Hinton .

Chris Rato, of the New Zealand Herald, adds that the union “should have waited until the end of the tour in the North to make the best possible assessment of the advisability of extending his contract”. “There are some major fault lines on this team, fissures that have widened because of poor coaching decisions,” columnist Mark Reason concludes on Stuff.