After five losses from their last six tests, including three defeats in a row, and with unwanted records mounting, the All Blacks summoned their brilliant best to snap their funk and bring the world champions down to earth. Video / Sky Sport
By Liam Napier in South Africa
Praise and scorn featured prominently as Ian Foster basked in the afterglow of a defiant, tenacious victory on the Johannesburg highveld that he will hope is enough to save his All Blacks coaching tenure.
Foster had every right to be vindicated after the AllBlacks delivered one of their great upset triumphs at the mecca of South African rugby.
Despite the All Blacks slipping to fifth in the world following their third straight defeat last week, Foster maintained something special was brewing at Ellis Park of all places.
Few outside the All Blacks tight-knit inner sanctum believed that to be true. Yet the 35-23 bonus point Rugby Championship victory, led by a rare dominant forward platform, Richie Mo'unga sparking the All Blacks attack and Rieko Ioane thriving at centre, casts further uncertainty over Foster's future that is expected to be determined next week.
Before turning attention to those critical of his tenure, Foster first praised the All Blacks resolve. Rightly so, too. This was a performance where they addressed poor starts in their last four tests; the breakdown issues that hamstrung their attacking platform and the high ball fumbles that proved costly in Mbombela.
"The performance we saw today was a result of the last two-and-a-half-weeks where this group has reformed and reshaped," Foster said after the All Blacks retained the Freedom Cup in a typically captivating contest against the old foe. "I couldn't be prouder of the effort. Coming up here to altitude, having a game that was losable and winnable and to finish strong over a mighty team on their home ground like this is a great occasion for us.
"We haven't started that well this year. For whatever reason we've been behind and we've had to play back. You could feel it was an arm-wrestle. That's what South Africa is like coming here.
"The second half of each half we targeted tired legs and the way we wanted to play and we reaped some rewards for that."
Defensively the All Blacks were superb. After leading 15-0 midway through the first half they withstood relentless waves of pressure and then launched their own late comeback.
The All Blacks halted 12 mauls from the Springboks, restricting the world champions to two tries. Foster acknowledged the major impact Crusaders forwards guru Jason Ryan has rapidly made in this area since replacing John Plumtree a mere three weeks ago.
The scrum largely held firm, too, following Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax's promotions. And the once malfunctioning lineout, where Sam Whitelock led the way, dominated to steal four South African throws.
"To be honest it's been a bit of our Achilles heel the past few years, and probably goes back to 2018 where it started. We've been working hard on that space. The players have done a lot of work behind the scenes. Jason and Greg Feek have done a tremendous job in terms of leading that area. We were under a bit of pressure so they were areas we had to bar up in."
Asked what the victory meant personally after the sustained criticism and pressure from New Zealand's demanding public after five losses from the last six All Blacks tests, Foster seized the chance to have a pop at his detractors, particularly the small cohort of Kiwi media in attendance, and admit the imminent review with New Zealand Rugby powerbrokers loomed large over his future.
"The stress has been good for me, I've lost one kg in the last two weeks and maybe over the next week or two I might lose a few more.
Sam Cane (C) of New Zealand and Sam Whitelock. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
"It comes with the job. It has been pretty vicious. There has been a lot of onslaught, particularly from our New Zealand media. They've got high expectations of us and they've made that loud and clear. They've clearly come very strong at me as a person. Some of them have even called our selections popgun which I found quite insulting for players that give everything to play for their nation.
"That pressure has been strong. It doesn't change the fact that through adversity is the best teacher for character and we've stayed tight."
Foster followed that serve by saying it is difficult to win all the time, claiming long term success often starts with a low point.
"We've lost three in a row this year, and it hurt, but I felt last week was our best performance of the year. We saw signs of our combativeness – we missed a beat at the breakdown but we've grown through that. We're breeding a few young boys and a few new combinations and that takes time.
"Some people don't have patience and I understand that; I get the frustrations, but inside the camp that doesn't mean a lot to us. What's important is how we pull together and work hard and keep growing."
Sam Cane, replaced in the final 10 minutes after Beauden Barrett's late yellow card and the All Blacks opting to utilise midfielder Quinn Tupaea off the bench to cover the backfield, echoed Foster's initial pride, while offering an insight into the team's under-siege mentality in the Republic.
"It means a lot. I'm immensely proud of the group through this last wee while, which has been tough. We've had to circle the wagons and focus internally," the All Blacks skipper said. "There's never been a question about the level of care or work ethic."
Cane underlined the All Blacks' ability to launch a spirited comeback after the side lost the lead for the first time with 13 minutes remaining; David Havili and Scott Barrett claiming tries in the closing stages while Beauden Barrett was in the bin.
"For us to be in a test match like that tonight under immense pressure, in such a hostile crowd and a game that goes back and forth, the belief and composure needs to be strong and that's not always easy when you're coming off a run of a couple of losses; so to be able to produce that speaks highly of the group as a whole. That's what we're all pretty proud of."
Back at their Sandton hotel the All Blacks arrived to a hero's welcome with cheering and songs greeting them at the door. Those continued in the elevators and onto the deck where they will celebrate a magnificent, backs-to-the-wall response.
Once the euphoria subsides, the small matter of Foster's future, which will be judged on the three losses and two wins this year, needs to be decisively determined one way or the other.
