The sense that something is seriously amiss within the All Blacks, who now have lost four of their last five Tests, will have been heightened by Ian Foster’s refusal to answer questions about his future after Saturday night’s 32-22 defeat to Ireland and the cancellation of a planned press conference with the head coach in Wellington on Sunday morning.
The 11.30am media opportunity the day after the All Blacks lost the series was on the weekly schedule and then suddenly it wasn’t, and no matter the explanation it will add to the growing perception, if not weight of evidence, that something is not right within this group.
The majority of the rugby-following New Zealand public have probably already made up their minds about the direction of this All Blacks side under Foster, but after he failed four times to engage in a conversation with the media at Sky Stadium about whether he is the right man to lead the side there will be others who want answers.
Answers, for example, to the questions such as why Foster decided to replace his skipper Sam Cane with Dalton Papalii with 15 minutes remaining in the crucial Test series decider.
Foster said immediately after the match that he wanted to get fresher legs on to the field, but why not Akira Ioane, the blindside flanker who replaced the injured Scott Barrett before kick-off and who has not played for a couple of months due to a foot injury?
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Ioane, who scored a fine individual try to maintain the All Blacks’ second-half comeback after Ardie Savea began it with his trademark determination, was enjoying one of his better Tests but was presumably feeling the pinch fitness-wise.
Was Foster’s reluctance to take Ioane off an indication that he is more of a threat with the ball than Cane? Probably, but either way it was a bold and controversial call which did not reflect well on his skipper.
Cane, a powerful and busy defender in Wellington before his departure, was already feeling the heat from a portion of the public who have made it clear they want more from their No.7s and captains.
It was hardly a ringing endorsement from Foster, and it was no wonder that Cane stood on the sideline for the remainder of the match stony faced and growing paler by the minute.
Foster said afterwards that he wanted to analyse the Test and overall series to find solutions, but some things are clearly evident: Ireland, who before this tour had never won a Test in New Zealand, had a better attack than the All Blacks.
They also appeared more highly motivated over the three Tests, despite the All Blacks’ home advantage. And some of their men hadn’t played for eight weeks.
They played with a greater understanding of who they are as a team and what they wanted to achieve. And that’s the bottom line, because that comes from preparation – in other words, coaching.
Why was the All Blacks' lineout so dysfunctional? How did they so meekly concede two tries to lineout drives?
In Andy Farrell, they had a head coach who needed to find some answers quickly after the Irish lost the game to the Māori All Blacks in Hamilton then the opening Test at Eden Park.
He did it, and in the process made the All Blacks and Foster and his assistants look bewildered by comparison.
READ MORE: Pressure squarely on ABs coaches after Ireland seal series
The All Blacks’ poor starts and general inconsistency has become the norm under this coaching group and that is unsustainable so it's clear the New Zealand Rugby board must ask questions of themselves, the first being: Can this coaching group deliver a World Cup victory in 14 months?
In the meantime, the All Blacks must re-group before travelling to South Africa for two extremely challenging Tests against the world champions, and they’ll do it without lock Brodie Retallick, who broke a cheekbone in a head clash with Irish prop Andrew Porter, an accidental collision that nevertheless may have been punished by a red card rather than a yellow had other match officials viewed the same incident on a different day.
Asked in the aftermath of the Test whether it was another case of the foul play “card lottery” currently blighting the game, Foster replied simply: “I think so”.
More clarity a day after the Test on where he believes this trend is heading would have been helpful too for an increasingly confused rugby public but, alas, on a clear but cold Sunday morning in Wellington as the wind funnelled down empty streets around the team's hotel, there were no answers, only more questions.
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