France v All Blacks

[cashead]

Quarterfinalists, first team to lose to the Irish at that stage. Another record for Foster and his All Blacks In Name Only!

I think we’ve got First Loss To Italy before that.

Pretty sure we'll also get the ABINO conceding 50 at some stage while we're at it.

[canta_brian]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

[cashead]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

The NZRU preached continuity when they appointed Foster. When you look at other test-level teams, the coaches' ideas start to get worked out and they start eating shit in the results after 5 or 6 years. Case in point Eddie O'Sullivan, who had the Irish Golden Generation of O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Connell, O'Kelly, etc., and couldn't do a single fucking thing with them in the 2007 RWC, because his team had been worked out, and were clearly jaded big-time. Hell, Gordon Tietjens was at the top of the NZ 7s programme for 12 years, and his ideas and tactics had been worked out by 2015/2016, leading to a calamitous Olympics campaign in 2016. Laidlaw, after steadying the ship, had the good sense to fuck off after 5 years and try his hand at the full game with the Hurricanes. Basically, coaches and their ideas, unless they're able to keep reinventing themselves, will inevitably get worked out and struggle with results after 5 years or so, 6 tops.

Fundamentally, there hasn't been a significant change in ideology at the top for 20 years with the All Blacks In Name Only.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

[Puja]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

[canta_brian]

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

Gats got the job done against Fiji the other night. Superb display and Fiji never in it

[canta_brian]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

The NZRU preached continuity when they appointed Foster. When you look at other test-level teams, the coaches' ideas start to get worked out and they start eating shit in the results after 5 or 6 years. Case in point Eddie O'Sullivan, who had the Irish Golden Generation of O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Connell, O'Kelly, etc., and couldn't do a single fucking thing with them in the 2007 RWC, because his team had been worked out, and were clearly jaded big-time. Hell, Gordon Tietjens was at the top of the NZ 7s programme for 12 years, and his ideas and tactics had been worked out by 2015/2016, leading to a calamitous Olympics campaign in 2016. Laidlaw, after steadying the ship, had the good sense to fuck off after 5 years and try his hand at the full game with the Hurricanes. Basically, coaches and their ideas, unless they're able to keep reinventing themselves, will inevitably get worked out and struggle with results after 5 years or so, 6 tops.

Fundamentally, there hasn't been a significant change in ideology at the top for 20 years with the All Blacks In Name Only.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

That sounds about right, and a recipe for disappointment

[Lizard]

The early appointment of Robertson to replace Foster has even robbed us of the chance to call for Fozzie’s head. It’s already rolling down the aisle.

It breaks my heart to see Foster fail. He was the 10 for the Waikato team of my youth that knocked the invincible late ‘80s/early ‘90s Auckland off their perch. Took the Shield, won the championship. Captained by John Mitchell. Loe, Gatland, Purvis up front. Monkley on the side of the scrum. Matthew Cooper at FB. Fucking great team.

[Puja]

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

Gats got the job done against Fiji the other night. Superb display and Fiji never in it

That is a generous interpretation...

Puja

[Banquo]

The early appointment of Robertson to replace Foster has even robbed us of the chance to call for Fozzie’s head. It’s already rolling down the aisle.

It breaks my heart to see Foster fail. He was the 10 for the Waikato team of my youth that knocked the invincible late ‘80s/early ‘90s Auckland off their perch. Took the Shield, won the championship. Captained by John Mitchell. Loe, Gatland, Purvis up front. Monkley on the side of the scrum. Matthew Cooper at FB. Fucking great team.

Dan Carter also pays a load of big tributes to Fozzie bear in his self help tome.

[canta_brian]

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

Gats got the job done against Fiji the other night. Superb display and Fiji never in it

That is a generous interpretation...

Puja

You think?

[Lizard]

The early appointment of Robertson to replace Foster has even robbed us of the chance to call for Fozzie’s head. It’s already rolling down the aisle.

It breaks my heart to see Foster fail. He was the 10 for the Waikato team of my youth that knocked the invincible late ‘80s/early ‘90s Auckland off their perch. Took the Shield, won the championship. Captained by John Mitchell. Loe, Gatland, Purvis up front. Monkley on the side of the scrum. Matthew Cooper at FB. Fucking great team.

Dan Carter also pays a load of big tributes to Fozzie bear in his self help tome.

I've got no complaints about his tenure as assistant...

[morepork]

Ken Doll Carter...if not for rugby he would be a reality TV presence in the regions, at best.

[Lizard]

I haven’t read his self-help book and have no plans to. His “auto”-biography was one of the dullest things I have read. At least Corey Jane had the sense to have his ghost writer put some entertaining bullshit into his one.

[Banquo]

Poor Dan. Seems a decent guy and a great player.

[Lizard]

Poor Dan. Seems a decent guy and a great player.

Absolutely. Not every sports star needs to be a “personality”.

[Which Tyler]

Still learning from St Jonny, I see

[Son of Mathonwy]

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

How dare you! Warren 'Quicksilver' Gatland is always reinventing himself.