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Ian ‘Fozzie’ Foster has been named able assistant to new All Blacks head coach, Steve Hansen. It is a questionable posting for the former coach of the Waikato Chiefs, who with seven years and over a hundred matches has never claimed a Super Rugby championship.
Foster’s credentials are so unremarkable not even Wikipedia wants to know who he is. But here’s a useless piece of information: like Quade Cooper and Richard Kahui, Fozzie is a product of Tokoroa’s Forest View High School.
Foster’s call-up comes a week after Steve Hansen landed the top job. But unlike Foster, Hansen’s CV was impressive.
Not only did it include the finer detail of this year’s successful Rugby World Cup campaign, it contained the stamped endorsements of the most successful coach and captain in All Blacks history, respectively Graham Henry and Richie McCaw.
Hansen’s self-assessment even described past failings as worthy assets. ”I’ve got plenty of experience and reflecting on that experience by using the good, the bad and the ugly to improve myself and the team I coach.”
The “ugly” refers to the epic World Cup failure of 2007, from which the scars, though well healed, remain. It also includes a rocky relationship with the New Zealand media. However, unlike his two former wives, Hansen has learned to live with the media.
The ex-policeman is described as a safe pair of hands. To be fair, Hansen was the only pair of hands.
Yet safe and available hands are not necessarily the best hands at this juncture. And that’s why Hansen’s role is up for review in 2013. Lest we forget, his team was very nearly undone by the French in October’s Rugby World Cup final.
But for a single point, Mr Webb Ellis might well have been a French resident about now – a sickly thought.
So the big question is; what does Hansen bring to the table that hasn’t already been served up under the Henry/Hansen tenure?
That question was set to be answered in the detail of his assistants. But in light of Ian Foster’s appointment, not so. Not remotely so.
Foster is not the only former first-five to be added to the mix. All Black icon Grant Fox has been named as a third selector.
Says Hansen on Foxy’s fortune, ”In Foxy, we’ve got someone who is very analytical and will make a great selector. His role is to be that third selector, be a little bit provocative, and question why we’re doing things. It allows us to sit back and look at the forest as a total and say, well, we need to look at this.”
No arguments over Foxy. Anyone who is familiar with his Sky commentary has experienced his analytical mind in action. Even to the point of being bored stupid over the intricacies of a kicker’s approach to the tee.
Moving along, the final addition to Hansen’s coaching complement is Australian born Brian ”Aussie” McLean. The former Hurricanes assistant has been assigned the Skills and Defence portfolios.
Hansen and McLean have an interesting history together, having coached Canterbury 11 years ago, winning the NPC title and retaining the Ranfurly Shield. S
ays Hansen on his old mate’s selection, ”Aussie and I go way back but that’s irrelevant as to why he’s in this job. After a lot of research and looking both in New Zealand and externally, these were the guys that fit the criteria we were after. We’ve got to make sure we stay ahead of the pack.”
Ahead of the pack? One can hardly describe a one-point win over the French as ahead of the pack. That coupled with Super Rugby and Tri-Nations failings, Hansen would be wise not to overestimate his position.
There’s another unknown quantity in this equation. And that’s the trajectory of Hansen’s former All Blacks co-assistant, Wayne Smith.
Smith has committed to the Waikato Chiefs until 2013. Then he plans on returning to northern parts, where he’ll likely take up a role with England, hosts of Rugby World Cup 2015. Someone like Smith is everything England needs and wants, if not at the helm of their campaign, then thereabouts.
It’s conceivable, then, that Hansen will head to Rugby World Cup 2015 to defend his title against the man who helped him secure it.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. First things first, Hansen must ensure the All Blacks don’t dip below their current 86 percent winning rate between now and 2013, when his appointment is up for review and not coincidentally, Smith is poised to depart for England.
If Hansen doesn’t deliver, a Plan B will be in order. For the New Zealand Rugby Union, that Plan B will involve wooing Wayne Smith before England does.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.