All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has given what is potentially his final pre-Test press conference and has declared himself confident of a good result in tomorrow’s World Cup quarter-final because of the work his side has put in to get to this point.
Foster will be replaced by Scott Robertson once this tournament is over but appeared relaxed on the eve of New Zealand’s biggest Test in four years, saying his side couldn’t have done much more to prepare to play the best team in the world.
Asked at the Stade de France in Paris, the venue of tomorrow morning’s blockbuster, why he was so confident of success, Foster replied: "The work they [the players] have done, the work we have put in in the last three or four months, really.
“We've always known coming to this World Cup that assuming we did the business in the pool, it was most likely Ireland or South Africa. Either way you have got a monster quarter-final. It's not like this is a surprise. Mentally we have been ready for it and mentally we know that we have to prepare a week at a time.
"I have full belief in this group. If you look at the quarter-finals, there are going to be four quality teams that won't be in the semi-finals and we 're pretty determined that we're not one of them.
Europe Correspondent Mei Heron caught up with some of them on the streets of the French capital. (Source: 1News)
“We know it is going to be a massive game. The only way to go into these games is believing in your game and who you are, and we do."
One big difference between the sides, apart from Ireland carrying a 17-match unbeaten record into the first knockout match following New Zealand’s opening defeat to France, is the far more settled line-up employed by Ireland in comparison with the All Blacks.
However, while Foster agreed some of his players needed more game time, it’s clear he believes Ireland’s more consistent rotation could backfire at some point.
"Everyone has different strategies, everyone has had different draws,” he said. “We had a number of players unavailable for the first few games of the tournament which changed our strategy a bit. I think they are used to that.
"They have been a very set combination for the past two or three years at club and international level and the journeys each of us has taken the last three or four years to get here with the world situation, quarantines, travel, that changed everything.
"What we do know is that we are fit and strong. In some cases we have got guys who have not played enough. There's strengths and weaknesses for both the strategies. The good thing about play-off rugby is that it doesn't matter. People just want to get out there and play.
"We know it is going to be a full-on game. Hopefully a fast game. We'd like that. If it tests everyone's legs, we will be happy with that."
Asked what his final message to his players would be, Foster replied: "I've probably already given them my final message: really, I just think trust themselves, trust the work we've done as a group and trust the work we've done on the field and off the field and go out and express yourself. Quarter-finals, we don't want to die wondering, you don't want to go in your shell, you still want to play our game and it's important to us that we do.
Foster added that wing Mark Telea, dropped for this match due to a breach of team protocol, would be available for the semifinal should the All Blacks beat Ireland. Wales or Argentina will be New Zealand’s semifinal opponents should that happen.
Wing Leicester Fainga’anuku, named as Telea’s replacement in the No.11 jersey, was similarly relaxed.
Asked if he would sleep well, he said: “Same as usual. Wake up tomorrow excited. Excitement has been building right through the week and tomorrow night you'll see that."
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