The All Blacks have parted ways with assistant coaches John Plumtree and Brad Mooar after the series loss to Ireland.
Under fire head coach Ian Foster announced the changes on Sunday for the Rugby Championship.
In a statement New Zealand Rugby said “robust and in-depth conversations took place with various stakeholders following the [Ireland] series, with a focus on finding ways to improve performance both now and leading into RWC 2023.”
Forwards coach Plumtree and backs coach Mooar are the high profile casulaties.
“Right now, I am really feeling for two fine men who are great rugby coaches that made an enormous contribution to the All Blacks,” Foster said in a NZR statement.
I have no doubt both coaches will go on to great success and I want to thank them for their hard work.”
The All Blacks have brought in Crusaders and Fiji forwards coach Jason Ryan.
“Jason is a proven performer with plenty of experience at international level,” said Foster. “Last year we witnessed first-hand the impact he has made on Fiji’s forwards, adding to his continual growth as the forwards coach of the Crusaders. His appointment now is clearly with an eye to the future and to the RWC 2023.”
Joe Schmidt will formally starts his role as independent All Blacks selector. In addition to that, Schmidt has a key analysis role and will work with Foster on overall strategy and attack play.
Foster will resume leading the backs “in the short term”, according to the statement.
Tonga qualify for RWC
Tonga have advanced to next year’s Rugby World Cup in France after a 44-22 win over Hong Kong in the final of an Asia Pacific qualifying tournament.
Tonga led 20-8 at halftime after Sonatane Takulua scored two tries and added a third in the second half at the Sunshine Coast Stadium.
Tonga will play in Pool B in France with defending champions South Africa, No. 1-ranked Ireland, Scotland and Romania.
Hong Kong can still qualify for France via a second-chance tournament in Dubai in November.
A four-team tournament also involving the United States, Kenya and Portugal will determine the 20th team, with the winner joining Pool C with Australia, Wales, Georgia and Fiji.
QUALIFIED TEAMS FOR THE 2023 RUGBY WORLD CUP
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia
Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Romania, Tonga
Pool C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Repechage winner
Pool D: England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile
Boks bring back veterans
South Africa have recalled experienced duo Duane Vermeulen and Frans Steyn to their squad for the home leg of the Rugby Championship but will be without injured wing Cheslin Kolbe.
No.8 Vermeulen (knee) and utility back Steyn (hamstring), who both won the World Cup with the Springboks in 2019, have recovered from injuries that kept them out of the 2-1 home series win over Wales this month.
“Duane and Frans are both very experienced players and they each have valuable traits that they bring to the field of play, so we are excited to welcome them into the fold,” Bok coach Jacques Nienaber said in a media release from South African Rugby.
“This will offer the coaches and medical staff a good opportunity to determine where they are in terms of their rugby.”
Fullback Aphelele Fassi and loose-forward Marcell Coetzee have been released from the squad, while Kolbe is recovering from the broken jaw he sustained against Wales and will be available for selection again in September.
The Boks play back-to-back Tests against New Zealand in Nelspruit on August 6 and Johannesburg a week later, before they head to Australia for two matches.
South Africa squad
Props: Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane Hookers: Joseph Dweba, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi. Locks: Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortje, Marvin Orie. Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Evan Roos, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese, Duane Vermeulen. Utility forwards: Rynhardt Elstadt, Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Herschel Jantjies, Grant Williams. Flyhalves: Elton Jantjies, Handre Pollard. Midfielders: Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel Outside Backs: Warrick Gelant, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi. Utility Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Frans Steyn, Damian Willemse.
‘There’s always pressure’
Former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains believes social media has added to the distress of the job but believes Ian Foster can turn things around after a shocking run of four losses from five games.
“There is always pressure on an All Blacks coach,” Mains told Stuff.
“The rugby family in New Zealand doesn’t want the All Blacks to ever lose and they think it’s possible they can carry on winning. But it simply isn’t possible.
“I think Ian is under more pressure than an All Blacks coach has had before, because the media scrutinises more intensively than it used to and social media is much more active. So those things create pressure.
“To be honest, I have a great deal of sympathy for Ian. He went into that job wanting to do his best and things haven’t quite worked out for him.
“The comment I would make, and this could be determined in two different ways, is that if you carry on doing the same thing, you can’t expect to change the results.
“We did hear a few years ago that the All Blacks had this new game plan coming on and with Ian being the backs coach at the time, he would have been an integral part of that.
“But we really didn’t see any change, other than dropping Ben Smith and Beauden Barrett being put to fullback and I don’t think that made a significant difference.”
The All Blacks have made few changes to the squad for the Rugby Championship openers against South Africa, with prop Ethan de Groot and loose forward Shannon Frizell earning recalls in place of Karl Tu’inukuafe and Pita Gus Sowakula.
Mains said the playing group wasn’t the issue.
“We’re very strong with our player resources, particularly our backs. But they look very disjointed,” Mains said.
“The Irish exposed that and the French did a year ago.
“That comes about because of a couple of reasons. I don’t think it’s the ability of our players, it’s just that they’re not performing at their best.
“The reason for that, which is where the coaches’ responsibilities lie, is that they need to come up with a game plan that suits the group of players involved.
“Then it’s his job to make sure every player in the squad understands the game plan and their role in making it work.”
Mains said it was possible for Foster to spark change.
“They’ve got to come up with the ideas and analysis of what’s been going wrong and what’s happening in rugby today, where the strong defensive areas are. Then develop a plan to overcome that,” he said.
“To be honest it’s not that difficult to do. Earle Kirton (former All Blacks selector and assistant coach) and I had to do it for the 1995 World Cup, because we thought the other teams around the world had caught up with All Black rugby.”
Young ref for ABs Test
Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli will be in charge when the All Blacks host Argentina in a Rugby Championship match in Christchurch next month and he could be younger than both captains.
Amashukeli is 27. The ABs’ current captain is Sam Cane, 30, while Julian Montoya and Pablo Matera, who have led the Pumas recently are 28.
Rusty
Roar Guru
ah - might be right on that one
Good Game
Guest
Thanks Coker. "Fly on the wall". Within the confines of what I suppose was a "leak" it would be stretch to that he blamed Barnes within the context of social reaction - at least for all he was worth. This is not to discredit you or your findings because the motive would be there at the time when the contract Henry was on was going to expire by the end of 09 (off memory). Happy with a middle ground that he didn't publicly complain about it but had at least been referenced as a cause of failure?
Coker
Roar Rookie
He certainly changed his tune later, but it was a different one at the time: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/4785/i-Henrys-problems-lie-deeper-than-scapegoat-Barnes-i "The word from the fly on the wall at the New Zealand Rugby Union's World Cup review is that Henry and his assistant coaches pointed the finger firmly at Barnes, emphasising that his inexperience and errors contributed heavily to New Zealand's shock quarterfinal loss to France in Cardiff."
Coker
Roar Rookie
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/405274/ian-foster-named-new-all-blacks-coach "The appointment panel for the head coach position was made up of Impey, Robinson, NZR Head of High Performance Mike Anthony, former All Blacks coach and NZR Life Member Sir Graham Henry and former Silver Ferns coach and High Performance Sport New Zealand director Waimarama Taumaunu."
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Sorry did I mention World cup winner medals? Based on your math Id say BB 1000000 RM 00000000000 :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
FrancisF
Roar Pro
Despite all the whingeing about the ABs and its coaches, to me, the ABs is still the greatest and most exciting rugby team on the planet. At their worst, they are still head over shoulders compared to the next best rugbybteam. The recent series win by the Irish will be recorded in future as a flash-in-a-pan moment. It won’t be repeated for quite sometime in the near future. The ABs’ series loss was because the players against the Irish were too tense and they overdid themselves in the park thus causing too many out-of-character errors. “Trying too hard” , as my neigbour had commented. Meanwhile the Irish played like they had nothing to prove at all. If the ABs players had just relaxed and enjoyed the game as they usually did, the ABs would have sent the Irish contingent packing home for 0-3. BTW, there is a saying, “water cannot rise forever”.
wigeye
Guest
Thats totally correct jacko/wigeye 100%
Ulrich
Roar Rookie
I think Australia's DOR (Johnson is it?) is also a selector for them.
adam smith
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately AKAjorrie, I think you are correct.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Especially after Ireland lost to Japan. An upset in another pool, or even a typhoon washing out a tough pool match, can also have a big impact.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
It’s a fair question FB… you have good forwards and there has to plenty of upside in your attack because it’s not fired at all.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Agree to an extent. It’s nice to only have one pool match where you absolutely have to play your best 23. South Africa’s draw last RWC was just about perfect. They could ‘peak’ for the final.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
I suppose the question is how far behind will England be in the next 6 Nations - the one just over 6 months out from the RWC.
Locke
Roar Rookie
Jacko, the vast majority here are expressing their opinions in a reasonable and honest manner. You don’t get to tell people they can’t be angry and don’t get to police opinions because they happen to overwhelmingly differ from you own. And try not to equate passionate debate with violence or irrationality, they’re not the same thing.
WEST
Roar Guru
We’ll see soon enough. The ABs are very vulnerable at the moment. So much uncertainty amongst the team, opportunity for the Boks to win both tests. I struggle to see the ABs turning what we saw in Dunedin & then worse still in Wellington around.. Then come out and beat the Springboks in SA, just very hard to imagine. Boks could get revenge for that Albany game
DDSmash
Guest
Hi Jacko, Mounga - Super Rugby Titles 1000 B. Barrett - Super Rugby Titles 1
JamesD
Guest
A friend told me that 1/3 of the 2022 Waratahs squad and 1/4 of the 2022 Force squad was moving on next year. Haven't seen any news about this, is this true/official?
Reframe
Roar Rookie
The damage is being done as we speak. Credibility in the Kremlin almost an oxymoron. Yes you are right in respect of players speaking about anything untoward about the administration. Especislly those favored by Foster. So the status quo remains and NZR credibility reaches a new low.
BleedRedandBlack
Roar Rookie
Not with the Kremlin at work. Players are even more circumspect than journalists. More careers on the line. If you take that further, how many players are having their careers damaged with Foster as All Black coach? That's always been the question with poorly organised clubs like the Blues and the Hurricanes, or the Chiefs pre Rennie. Now the question can be equally applied to the All Blacks. How much damage will Foster do to the players before he is finally removed?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
The reality is though, that RM strengths are more what is needed right now, not BBs. Purely opinion. There are however some pretty stats supporting that position. Look at Highlanders articles on the matter for more of an analysis. Very selective stats from a pro Mounga fan. Paulo Im far from the only one saying RM hasnt bought his SR game to test level. Its a common line rolled out around Mounga. I dont believe the gameplan suits BB any more than it suits RM but its the gameplan they are being told to play. Ive never seen the 10 sit in the positions both have sat in during the irish series but I certainly didnt see a sudden calmness come over the team when RM came on thats for sure.