Foster's Firsts.

For the first time ever I have zero faith in the AB coach. And I have limited enthusiasm while he remains in charge. Just look at his post-match comments “we were a bit disappointed with the reffing at the breakdown” and “cane played fine”.

If he loses next week, it’ll be a shitshow of all proportions.

The guy just seems clueless. Like reece discarded, Fakatava nowhere to be seen, backrow unbalanced and so on. Just hopeless!

@Machpants said in Foster's Firsts.:

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The gall of Stuff to include their "please give us some money, to help us do all this awesome journalism" at the end of THAT article... which is almost 100% copy-pasted from the Fern.
Aaron - whoever you are - I don't mind you doing that, but the request for alms being included was a bit on-the-nose.

I hate that we lost a test that was there for the taking, but on the “firsts”, I’m a little less fussed/shocked about the fact we lost to the Argies at home. We play them twice a year and have been doing so for a few years now, plus they have coaches that are very familiar with AB rugby, add to that their development, it was bound to happen.

This doesn’t remove all the issues we are seeing with our play etc.

Just updating this thread.

Worst ever Ab defeat.
First AB defeat in pool play.
Biggest AB RWC defeat.

Thanks, Fozzie!

Most learnings of any AB coach.

According to Rugby Database, for the first time in All Blacks history, they have lost two tests in a row by 13 or more points. They lost by 28 against the Springboks at Twickenham and by 14 to France today.

Magnificent we are racking up these Firsts at an incredible rate under The donut king,
Is there any more we can add before his day is done.

So to update

First to lose to Ireland in NZ.
First to lose a series to Ireland.
First 3 test series loss in professional era.
Worst halftime deficit ever.
First to lose to Argentina, and at home
Highest score against us
Biggest losing margin x2
Lowest world ranking
Worst win rate in Pro era
First ever consecutive 14 point+ losses
First loss in RWC pool play
Worst ever RWC loss
Biggest margin of defeats and highest scores conceded against Argentina, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and France
Only ever time lost 3 consecutive home tests

Our winning percentage against top-tier nations must be pretty appalling.

Is there a world where we don’t qualify from this pool? Italy are not as shit as people think

@Yeahtheboys
I agree on the last Northern tour we struggled to put them away,
Beating Italy maybe not a given.

@Chris said in Foster's Firsts.:

@Yeahtheboys
I agree on the last Northern tour we struggled to put them away,
Beating Italy maybe not a given.

Last time we played Italy 2021 we won 47-9.

I agree beating Italy is not a given but we didn't struggle to put them away. We struggled to put Japan away last year.

@KiwiMurph

I actually thought the score was closer,
We took a while to put them away didn’t we ?.

First AB team to lose a game against France at a RWC while wearing black and France wearing alternative strip? is that a thing?

@Machpants said in Foster's Firsts.:

So to update

First to lose to Ireland in NZ.
First to lose a series to Ireland.
First 3 test series loss in professional era.
Worst halftime deficit ever.
First to lose to Argentina, and at home
Highest score against us
Biggest losing margin x2
Lowest world ranking
Worst win rate in Pro era
First ever consecutive 14 point+ losses
First loss in RWC pool play
Worst ever RWC loss
Biggest margin of defeats and highest scores conceded against Argentina, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and France
Only ever time lost 3 consecutive home tests

Fuck me that is some list of achievements. I wonder what his KPIs are. I guess he never lost the Bledisloe and we did win TRC.

@chimoaus said in Foster's Firsts.:

Fuck me that is some list of achievements.

He stands squats on the shoulders of giants...

First coach to lower the expectations of the ABs for a good clump of Kiwi's.

@broughie said in Foster's Firsts.:

First coach to lower the expectations of the ABs for a good clump of Kiwi's.

Yep, can't be too often that expectations are slightly higher for the Warriors than for the All Blacks...

@Donsteppa said in Foster's Firsts.:

@broughie said in Foster's Firsts.:

First coach to lower the expectations of the ABs for a good clump of Kiwi's.

Yep, can't be too often that expectations are slightly higher for the Warriors than for the All Blacks...

TAB has them at $5.90.

@nzzp said in Foster's Firsts.:

@Donsteppa said in Foster's Firsts.:

@broughie said in Foster's Firsts.:

First coach to lower the expectations of the ABs for a good clump of Kiwi's.

Yep, can't be too often that expectations are slightly higher for the Warriors than for the All Blacks...

TAB has them at $5.90.

Your All Blacks expectations are better than that?

@broughie said in Foster's Firsts.:

First coach to lower the expectations of the ABs for a good clump of Kiwi's.

I am not stressed or nervous about this World Cup in the slightest. First time ever.

@Crazy-Horse said in Foster's Firsts.:

@broughie said in Foster's Firsts.:

First coach to lower the expectations of the ABs for a good clump of Kiwi's.

I am not stressed or nervous about this World Cup in the slightest. First time ever.

Completely the same. Wife thought they had won because I was so quiet.

@Victor-Meldrew is that like being 100m world record holder but never winning a gold medal at world champs or olympics?

@Machpants and this is the horse the players backed
Could be a very quick exit

First ab coach to lose a pool match

Only ab coach to lose his first RWC match in charge

@Higgins said in Foster's Firsts.:

It wasn't that long ago that Ireland were lucky to get off nil and did virtual laps of honour if they fluked it to double figures. Mr. Foster has comfortably erased those from Ireland's goals to aim for.

To be honest every team in world has done that for Ireland, they are seriously a f***en good team, and being No 1 in world doesn't come form beating just ABs. We not that important mate! :confounded_face:

@Steven-Harris said in Foster's Firsts.:

@Machpants and this is the horse the players backed
Could be a very quick exit

it still does my head in that the players opinions had any say in the matter. Foster selected those players, which is a clear conflict of interest, and this is the Robinson that the recent board review apparently praises(?) with its focus on governance...

First coach to be uniting us in our disdain (he brought us together).

On the bright side, by the time this gormless saga is over, people will be looking forward to Razor making a clean shave and selecting a smarter tougher team.

Don't lose hope guys!! There's still more first Foster can get.

1. First AB coach to lose three times at a RWC, still potential to lose our semi final and then the 3rd and 4th place playoff.
2. First team Ireland beat to progress to the semi finals

Of course it'll rely on results going our way but I'm sure the team will be prepared in top metal condition to capitulate when it matters most!

Still got to beat Italy first...

@Donsteppa Foster first…NZ having to focus completely on Italy to ensure the win. That’s quite the come down from times of yore.

I've never been a supporter of Fosters and reckon the AB's lost the plot after Lions 1 in 2017 but a lot of the firsts are a reflection on the available players and the comparative strengths of the opposition.

Making it all about us is a continuation of the arrogance that got us into this mess. We used to be fitter and more skilful than our opponents but no longer are. That's not just down to Foster.

I also don't think Razor is going to be the messiah next year. He'll have the same forwards coach and many of the same players who have now been owned in two successive matches. Hopefully we will have a plan B and won't simply revery to brainless kicking but it's a long way back to the top of world rugby and it's not all about the coach's (in)abilities. Serious structural and competitive concerns too.

The one hope I do have in regards to Razor and the culture/mindset change he can bring is that the Crusaders whilst not being an unbeatable team have always displayed a remarkable ability to get up for the big games.
Case in point being this year when they lost to the Dura and the Chiefs (twice) but still got up for the big dance.
If he can bring that to the AB's it's a big step forward.

Super rugby encourages flowing attacking all action expansive rugby from the Kiwi sides. Which in turn leads to commparatively small forwards who get blown away in the collisions by the bigger packs - almost all of whom can compete with us at the skill level too.

If we can play a continuity game we can hang in there and blow teams away in the 4th quarter. This is what we always used to do but a combination of teams successfully employing the dark arts to slow the game down and having greater depth (than us) so they can run on a practically new pack without any drop in quality has screwed this game plan.

Our lack of Plan B is down to the uniformity of our playing options. Same only not as good.

@dogmeat 16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (25)

17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi (53)

18. Fletcher Newell (8)

19. Tupou Vaa’i (22)

20. Luke Jacobson (15)

21. Finlay Christie (17)

22. David Havili (25)

23. Leicester Fainga’anuku (3)

Bench vs France: hardly screams run them off their feet in the final 15 minutes. Too much a bob each way selecting. If that is genuinely the plan, then it should be something like Roigard, Taylor or Coles, Leicester, Tamaiti, McKenzie etc.