Foster squeezes balls
All Black coach goes on mazy interference run to ward off distractions
One story alone has dominated the sports news cycle this week and here at Bounce Towers, we’re not sure whether to admire Ian Foster for his chutzpah or go all Daily Mail and condemn the “sheer audacity of the man”.
To recap: Foster went on a brief tour of his favourite news organisations1 this week, starting with the New Zealand Herald ($), where, talking about his employer’s decision to appoint a coach for 2024 and beyond before the World Cup, he said:
“I think you weigh up the pros and cons of that and I think it is unnecessary.
“Those conversations are best had after a World Cup when everyone is clear and we have the latest data and we know where the team is at and then the board and everyone can make the decision with all the data on the table.
“In the meantime we have got a management team and a coaching group that is fully committed to one goal, which is the World Cup and not trying to position themselves into where they fit in next year’s regime.”
As several pundits have noted, the disconnect between Foster and New Zealand Rugby’s board and executive is very real, but his proposition that this isn’t all about him and it’s to ward off “distraction” is worthy of closer analysis.