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Tana Umaga calls out 'bandwagon' All Black fans for treatment of Foster
By Kim Ekin
Former All Black captain and legendary midfielder Tana Umaga has expressed his disappointment at how head coach Ian Foster has been treated as support for the All Blacks grows after their quarter-final win.
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After losing back-to-back Tests to end 2021, the All Blacks lost the home series to Ireland before another defeat to South Africa which left the All Blacks in a historically poor slump.
The pressure intensified around Foster and his job as head coach, eventually leading to his two assistants being replaced.
Umaga said he felt for the embattled head coach is he wore the wrath of the public who are now trying to jump back on the bandwagon after the All Blacks 28-24 win over Ireland.
“There wasn’t a lot of expectation on New Zealand going into the game [against Ireland],” Umaga told the Official Rugby World Cup podcast.
“That’s even at home, I don’t think the public at home gave this Ian Foster-led team any hope of making it past this stage.
“A lot of things have happened back home. I have felt for Ian Foster and the way that he is not coming back next year. It’s not something we usually do.
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“Now we have got to this stage you see everyone is trying to clamber back onto the bandwagon. Obviously Fozzy was going to get us there and he’s got a lot of good people around him.
“I had a thought for him, what he has been through. We love our national team, as does everyone, and they like to have a say about it and sometimes it is not the kindest words they use for our coaches.
“He went through a lot and I feel for him and his family who went through that.”
With Scott Robertson already announced as the next All Blacks head coach from 2024, Ian Foster stands in a unique position of being able to capture every piece of tournament hardware under his watch.
Despite the losses to key rivals, the All Blacks have not lost a tournament under Ian Foster, winning the Tri-Nations in 2020 and all three Rugby Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
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Winning the Rugby World Cup would see Foster bow out as one of the most successful All Blacks coaches ever from the standpoint of winning big trophies.
The All Blacks face Argentina in the first semi-final on Saturday morning NZT and the winner of that contest will face either England or South Africa in the final.
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The writer here ignores the fact that, following on from not taking the penalty kick, the All Blacks did manage to score a try a few minutes later. Not directly from the penalty awarded, but it is speculation to say that had they opted to take the koi they would have won. Even if they kicked it, which was no guarantee, they would still be trailing and would have had to start again at half-way.
Go to commentsI would be surprised if Sales Opoku Fordjour and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman are not in the team, Anthony Watson is also one that could go on the wing. One thing I must say is that the front 3 will get destroyed against a team like South Africa.
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