FOSTER WATCH 2K22! WILL HE STAY OR WILL HE GO!

[cashead]

The review into the "unacceptable" series loss to Ireland will happen this week. Will the NZRU keep their heads firmly wedged in the sand and declare that Foster shall stay? Or will they cave to the public and press baying for blood, and declare that Foster shall go?

What are you outcomes?

My prediction:

Foster "stays" as Head Coach, but in a drastically reduced role, while Joe Schmidt has his role greatly expanded from just a selector, to basically the actual Head Coach without being the explicit Head Coach like a Director of Rugby or "Technical Advisor." Something like that. Foster spends most of his time on the sidelines, sitting at the kids' table playing with his choo choo trains and shit, and occasionally, vaguely pointing at stuff for the cameras while one of the backroom staff stands next to him nodding.

[cashead]

Wednesday - an announcement was expected today, after a scheduled board meeting. The meeting did not take place, although Foster is reported to have met with with Mark Robinson.

We are expected to learn his fate tomorrow.

[morepork]

Luckily they sold the brand to Silverlake before the brand went to fish paste....

[cashead]

The team went to ground for a week after the pusillanimous decision to can the scheduled presser on Sunday because the press were a bunch of meanie-paninis asking a shitty coach if he was up to the task.

Announcements are expected today, but some leaks have come through:

1. Foster will keep his job
2. Joe Schmidt will have a much bigger role, as a technical advisor-cum-Director of Rugby
3. The assistants are all in the firing line.
4. Big changes are expected in the squad. The sad fact is, not everyone is up for it at this stage.
5. Sam Cane, to the surprise of no one, is set to be relieved of the captaincy.

[Puja]

4. Big changes are expected in the squad. The sad fact is, not everyone is up for it at this stage.

I've not kept up with Super Rugby - are there players that people are clamouring for and feel are being unfairly ignored, or is it just getting a new crew in with the hope they'll do better?

Puja

[cashead]

4. Big changes are expected in the squad. The sad fact is, not everyone is up for it at this stage.

I've not kept up with Super Rugby - are there players that people are clamouring for and feel are being unfairly ignored, or is it just getting a new crew in with the hope they'll do better?

Puja

Ethan de Groot was a big omission from the original squad - all the more perplexing, as he basically spent the Blues v. Highlanders game bullying Ofa Tu'ungafasi, considered the incumbent 3, in the scrums.

Oli Jager was another one. His name has been mentioned here and there. He was the starting 3 in a dominant Crusaders front row.

Tom Robinson, who can cover lock and blindside has been banging on the selectors' door for a while, and Cullen Grace was one of the form 8s in the competition, and is a big part of the Crusaders lineout that dismantled the Blues in that area in the Super Rugby final.

The backline is pretty damn close to what most people would have been selecting.

[cashead]

Hahahaha, lol, changes? What changes? What a fucking joke.

[cashead]

[Cameo]

Haha.- I kind of enjoy how wrong many of the journalists were on this one. In a way,.if Foster is to stay, good on him for sticking to his guns and not making big changes because that's what everyone wants. I'd like Papalii at 7, but If Foster thinks Came is the best 7 and Captain, it is hardly going to improve his standing in the squad if he chucks him under the bus just to appease his critics.

[zer0]

Short of some properly Machiavellian backroom machinations, I'd be surprised if Ryan would leave Robertson like that. Also I thought he was already signed on with Fiji for this year and/or next year?

Though it wouldn't surprise me at all if NZR decide to fuck the Blues to save Fosters weaselly hide. Which means they'd probably take Coventry as well.

And no mention of Plumtree...

[cashead]

Haha.- I kind of enjoy how wrong many of the journalists were on this one. In a way,.if Foster is to stay, good on him for sticking to his guns and not making big changes because that's what everyone wants. I'd like Papalii at 7, but If Foster thinks Came is the best 7 and Captain, it is hardly going to improve his standing in the squad if he chucks him under the bus just to appease his critics.

"not making changes" is the problem.

No, actually, let me rephrase that - Foster's already made some big changes, the main one being "he took a team that was going through a decline and made them shit."

There are quite a few in that team that are simply non-performers, while people that should be in there continue to be overlooked. Ofa Tu'ungafasi simply isn't up to snuff in current form. Why not bring in the best performing tighthead in Super Rugby, Oli Jager? But hey, not to worry, they brought in Tyrel Lomax, one of the worst tighthead props to play for the All Blacks in the last 10 years.

Cullen Grace, who had an excellent series for the MABs against the Irish is overlooked, so that they can bring in a woman-bashing cunt like BIG BOY SHAN, who has been given chance after chance and has proven himself a flat-track bully every time.

[Cameo]

Haha.- I kind of enjoy how wrong many of the journalists were on this one. In a way,.if Foster is to stay, good on him for sticking to his guns and not making big changes because that's what everyone wants. I'd like Papalii at 7, but If Foster thinks Came is the best 7 and Captain, it is hardly going to improve his standing in the squad if he chucks him under the bus just to appease his critics.

"not making changes" is the problem.

No, actually, let me rephrase that - Foster's already made some big changes, the main one being "he took a team that was going through a decline and made them shit."

There are quite a few in that team that are simply non-performers, while people that should be in there continue to be overlooked. Ofa Tu'ungafasi simply isn't up to snuff in current form. Why not bring in the best performing tighthead in Super Rugby, Oli Jager? But hey, not to worry, they brought in Tyrel Lomax, one of the worst tighthead props to play for the All Blacks in the last 10 years.

Cullen Grace, who had an excellent series for the MABs against the Irish is overlooked, so that they can bring in a woman-bashing cunt like BIG BOY SHAN, who has been given chance after chance and has proven himself a flat-track bully every time.

Oh I agree,.there should be changes. But IF Foster is to stay it is best that he stays with enough confidence that he doesn't care what people like us think.

[cashead]

Plumtree and Mooar are out, Jason Ryan is in.

[cashead]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/300 ... -to-resign

[J Dory]

Searching for the team announcement I can't help but run into numerous articles speaking to the cause of the ABs demise. I'm just not buying it ... yet. Anyone know when the team will be announced? Looking forward the game on Saturday.

[Puja]

Searching for the team announcement I can't help but run into numerous articles speaking to the cause of the ABs demise. I'm just not buying it ... yet. Anyone know when the team will be announced? Looking forward the game on Saturday.

I think they have been pronounced dead very early - Ireland are a very good team indeed and losing to them isn't something that should bring out the obituary notices for the New Zealand rugby team.

Puja

[cashead]

Searching for the team announcement I can't help but run into numerous articles speaking to the cause of the ABs demise. I'm just not buying it ... yet. Anyone know when the team will be announced? Looking forward the game on Saturday.

I think they have been pronounced dead very early - Ireland are a very good team indeed and losing to them isn't something that should bring out the obituary notices for the New Zealand rugby team.

Puja

See, I keep hearing that, and look, losing a test match happens every so often, and a lost test series at home was bound to happen sooner or later. It's the way in which they're losing, with no actual progress or growth. If anything, the All Blacks actively got worse in Wellington in one of the worst halves of rugby I've ever seen from them.

[J Dory]

Team announced:
All Blacks: Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Akira Ioane, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Angus Ta'avao, Samisoni Taukei'aho, George Bower.

Reserves: Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Tupou Vaa'i, Shannon Frizell, Finlay Christie, Richie Mo'unga, Quinn Tupaea.

[paddy no 11]

Is that the front row ye wanted lads?

Not much else changed

[cashead]

Two thirds of of the better frontrows in Super Rugby is something I can live with.

But Lomax? Fuck all the way off, Foster.

[J Dory]

I would have liked to see a change in the halves, happy Christie is on the bench, but would have liked to see him and Richie start.

[Numbers]

I'm thinking that the ABs will win this one, I'm looking forward to seeing Caleb Clarke, I would also have preferred Mo-unga t ostart with Beauden Barret @ 15 and Jordie on the bench, tho I admit to not knowing who Quinn Tupaea is .

[cashead]

Tupaea is the Chiefs 12, who got plucked out of the Maori All Blacks last year. He's a hard-running 12, and honestly, he'd be the guy I'd be starting at 12. Havili is a talented player, and there's plenty to like about him - he's an effective second playmaker, his kicking from hand is generally very good, and he is a viable long-range goalkicker (around 60 metres is his range in NZ. Probably more on the High Veldt), but his lack of power in the midfield was brutally exposed last year against the Springboks, Ireland and France.

[cashead]

It looks like Foster has been told the 2-test series against the Boks is him having to save his job. Gregor Paul has reported in the Herald that Fozzie's been told he's expected to resign if he either loses in South Africa (lol, pretty much a guarantee with that useless fucker) or if the team shows no significant improvement with Jason Ryan taking on the forwards and Schmidt holding his hand (also a non-zero chance of this).

Bye bye, Foster. You won't be missed. And take Shannon Frizell with you too, while you're at it. Fuck him.

[Puja]

It looks like Foster has been told the 2-test series against the Boks is him having to save his job. Gregor Paul has reported in the Herald that Fozzie's been told he's expected to resign if he either loses in South Africa (lol, pretty much a guarantee with that useless fucker) or if the team shows no significant improvement with Jason Ryan taking on the forwards and Schmidt holding his hand (also a non-zero chance of this).

Bye bye, Foster. You won't be missed. And take Shannon Frizell with you too, while you're at it. Fuck him.

Does he have to win both to survive? Or would just one win do?

I'm kinda rooting for you guys to win so you'll keep him because a) he's not very good and that helps our RWC chances and b) I'm hoping we'll get Scott Robertson in to help/understudy Eddie, which will also help our RWC chances, but I don't think that'll happen while he's still hopeful of Foster getting sacked and him getting an SOS.

Puja