All Blacks coach Ian Foster says he wants to keep coaching after his stint ends following the Rugby World Cup.
In March, New Zealand Rugby made the call to replace Foster with Scott Robertson with the Crusaders coach taking over from next season.
After naming his side for Sunday’s World Cup final against South Africa, Foster confirmed he will continue coaching
“I’ve got lots of ideas, but first I’m going to mow my lawns,” Foster said. “I will be coaching though, by the way.”
Foster should be in hot demand after taking the All Blacks to the World Cup final, with the likes of club teams in Europe and Japan as possible options.
In February, Foster told Newstalk’s ZB’s Mike Hosking that New Zealand’s Rugby decision to announce the next All Blacks coach before this year’s World Cup became a distraction for the team.
“I think it’s pretty highly unlikely that I will be in this job next year, but I keep getting asked about it if am I going to apply,” Foster said.
“I’m reading the tea leaves Mike and I think it looks like there’s a mood for a change. And, so for me, I’d like to put energy into that at the end of the year. Not now. My sole focus is on the World Cup and quite frankly, I think it’s highly unlikely that I’m going to be the next All Blacks coach anyway. But that’s, that to me is not my concern.”
If New Zealand Rugby had decided to review the head coaching role after the World Cup, as they have done previously, than Foster would have possibly have had a much stronger chance of retaining his job, especially if the All Blacks win a fourth World Cup title on Sunday.
His tenure as head coach didn’t have the best start after taking over from Steve Hansen in 2020. In a Covid-effected Tri Nations, the All Blacks lost to Australia and Argentina, their first defeat to the Pumas.
In 2021 the All Blacks won their first nine tests and had a strong season before losing their final two matches away to Ireland and France.
Pressure began to mount on Foster in 2022 after the All Blacks lost a home series to Ireland, their first home defeat since 1994, followed by a 26-10 defeat in South Africa, making it three straight defeats for the side. But they bounced back with a superb 35-23 win at Ellis Park before losing to Argentina in the next match, the Pumas maiden win against the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.
Foster moved to third place on the all time list for most wins as an All Blacks coach when his side beat Argentina to make this weekend’s final. After losing by a record margin to the Springboks at Twickenham on the eve of the World Cup, and going down to hosts France in the tournament opener, the All Blacks have impressed on their path to the final.
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