The New Zealand press is buzzing about the All Blacks and their coach

One defeat is too many. After a poor showing, the All Blacks lost on Saturday at South Africa 26-10, the inaugural rugby tournament. Their third defeat in a row after defeat in early July at home to Ireland, the second Northern nation to win a series in New Zealand after France in 1994. Fifth defeat in their last six meetings (France, three times Ireland, South Africa).

A black series makes headlines in the land of Long White Cloud. Where the daily reference does not hesitate, completely, is to claim trainer Ian Foster. “It’s time to finish his dutiesNew Zealand Herald claims. The Herald does not take pleasure in calling him, but Foster – a decent man but mired in a situation too brutal for him – must go! New Zealand rugby has put Foster in a job that seems totally unsuitable for her. They must now find a way to deal with his departure. Whether he gets paid to leave (as he should be), or whether he does so voluntarily…NZ$2 million was cited as compensation (€1.23 million).

“The results were overwhelming. But, more than that, this is how it really matters. They play bad rugby. It is very easy for players to get frustrated and often get bogged down and confused in performing their roles Daily continues. Adding that even an improbable success next Saturday against those Springboks won’t change a thing.It will only hide the cracks. (…) The team is on a clear downward trajectory, with just one year to reverse the trend and avoid the ruin of the World Cup in France. The credibility of a 117-year-old legacy hangs in the balance. In the modern era of the All Blacks, there have been no darker days than these….»

According to Stuff, the dice will actually be rolled. The New Zealand FA had acted that Ian Foster would not be coach after this second Test in South Africa. But replacing him with Scott Robertson, who has just led the Crusaders to five straight Super Rugby titles, isn’t a certainty. It is necessary to negotiate the buy-back of its contract with the Christchurch-based franchise.

To make matters worse, Ian Foster’s public outcry over the Springboks’ over-commitment to airship reception greatly angered the New Zealand media. “ This absurd claim deals a fatal blow to his reputationThe New Zealand Herald insists. He also showed a sneer of satisfaction after the defeat. “In many ways, it was probably our best performance of the year. Enough evidence indicates that we are heading in the right direction. (…) We’ve made progress, and it’s up to us to prove it next week.»«The art of turning defeat into victoryStuff joked.

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