This article was originally published on Stuff and is reproduced with permission
Ian Foster refused to discuss his future as All Blacks coach after overseeing New Zealand’s first home series defeat in 27 years.
Foster’s tenure sunk to a new low on Saturday when the All Blacks lost their series decider 32-22 to Ireland at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
The All Blacks have now lost four of their last five games under Foster’s watch, including back-to-back defeats on home soil.
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The last time they lost consecutive games in New Zealand was in 1998 – before two of the reserves in the third Test against Ireland, Folau Fakatava and Tupou Vaa’i, were born.
The last time the All Blacks lost a series at home? 1994.
Foster’s win percentage has dropped to 66.7 per cent (16 wins, 1 draw, 7 defeats) in the wake of Saturday’s defeat.
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Lowe’s no-look assist for Ireland try
That is the worst of any All Blacks coach in the professional era.
Foster said “New Zealanders have probably got to realise that this was a very good Irish team” and stressed Andy Farrell’s team deserved their “time in the sun” after winning consecutive games to clinch a famous series triumph on our shores.
He managed to avoid any questions about his future in the job by saying he only wanted to discuss the match, where saw small sections of the 35,890-strong crowd headed towards the exit with five minutes to play.
Ireland strike first in Wellington
Foster is contracted through to next year’s Rugby World Cup, but asked if he was the best person to take the team forward given their terrible run of results, Foster said: “I just want to talk about the Test match”.
A New Zealand Rugby media manager stepped in when Foster was asked if he even wanted to remain All Blacks coach.
The All Blacks were determined to bounce back from last weekend’s ill-disciplined defeat in Dunedin that saw them drop to fourth on the world rankings, but they were on the backfoot early with Ireland’s Josh van der Flier scoring inside the first four minutes.
Jordan flies for brilliant long-range try
Further tries to Hugo Keenan and Robbie Henshaw gave Ireland a 22-3 lead at halftime, but the All Blacks fought back in the second half to be within five points by scoring two tries thanks to some individual brilliance from Akira Ioane and Will Jordan when the tourists were down to 14 men following a yellow card to prop Andrew Porter.
Porter was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes following another sickening head clash with lock Brodie Retallick, a challenge that left Retallick with a broken cheekbone and forced him from the field.
Rob Herring scored three minutes after Jordan outsprinted three Irish defenders, to push Ireland back out to a double-digit lead, requiring the All Blacks to score two tries.
Ioane ignites struggling All Blacks
Ultimately, the All Blacks were unable to recover after a sluggish start and Foster was at a loss to explain why they were so slow out of the blocks, yet again.
“For some reason we’re just not as calm,” he said.
“In the defence area we’re getting a bit fidgety, there’s a few holes and Ireland aren’t a team you can let get behind because that is when they play an up-tempo game.”
Foster took captain Sam Cane off with the game in the balance with 15 minutes to go, but defended his decision to do so, saying the All Blacks needed “fresh legs.”
“We were just trying to keep the momentum going so it wasn’t a reflection on Sam or his leadership, we had just got momentum and lost it again and felt we needed to make a couple of tweaks.”
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck made his All Blacks debut in the closing stages, coming on at second-five after replacing Rieko Ioane, but was unable to impact the game.
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