Rugby World Cup: The pressure is always on, says All Blacks coach Ian Foster

There’s a theory developing momentum in the French capital this week that the Rugby World Cup opener on Friday night (Saturday morning NZT) represents somewhat of a free swing for Ian Foster’s All Blacks. A rare test sans pressure, so to speak.

The coach, though, wasn’t buying it on the eve of the highly anticipated matchup at a sold-out Stade de France between the host nation and their golden generation of players and the three-time winners of the Webb Ellis Cup from New Zealand.

Yes, there might not be a particular strategic advantage in victory, with the quarterfinal matchups shaping as brutal whatever way it falls. And you can definitely make the case that expectation is heaped more on Fabiel Galthié’s French side which faces that home nation pressure that weighed so heavily on Richie McCaw’s All Blacks in 2011.

But Foster stopped well short, at his game-eve media conference, of acknowledging this opening contest presented a pressure-free environment for an All Blacks side coming off a record test defeat, down to No 4 on the world rankings and. frankly, being written off by many outside of their own tight environment.

“There’s no doubt a lot of pressure on them being the hosts, and how they respond to that I’m not sure,” he said. “The only thing we can control is making sure we pressure them and play our game, and not get caught up in the emotion of the occasion.

“It’s no stranger to us, expectation. If we win well there is always massive expectation to go out and do it again; and if you lose badly, then you’ve got to deal with all that.

“We have prepared well in how we deal with pressure. This group now has to grow under a World Cup pressure – and it is different. We’ve prepared well, we’ve had some clear goals, and I think we’ve been able to tick most of those off.

“Now we want to walk out on that park with shiny eyes, nice and light, and we just want to play. Once the ref blows his whistle let’s see what happens after that.”

Foster was asked about the lesson from 2019, when South Africa lost their first pool game to the All Blacks, yet went on to win the tournament, while the New Zealanders exited at the semifinal stage. Did that reduce the importance of an opening victory?

“I’m often asked after 2019 what we’d do differently,” he responded, “I said I’d just throw that first game. It doesn’t sound that good, though, does it? You never know in tournaments what the path is going to take … We’ve got one clear goal: to qualify for the quarterfinals, because then it’s a one-off game.”

But the All Blacks coach reckoned in other ways this tournament opener rose above them all to carry its own stature far beyond pool points and finals pathways.

“This game is special in its own right,” he added. “This is my third World Cup and I’ve never seen a buildup for a (first) game like this one. I’ve never seen people put so much on it. The fact it’s a home nation who have strong expectation of winning it, their public have strong expectation of winning it, and it’s against a team I sense the public have a lot of respect for. It’s well scripted.”.

Foster also made it clear his All Blacks – like the French down some key men for this contest with Brodie Retallick, Jordie Barrett, Shannon Frizell and Tyrel Lomax all unavailable – had well and truly moved on from the record 35-7 defeat to the Springboks a fortnight prior.

“We’re always disappointed [when we lose]. The injuries and cards caused it to be a very disrupted performance. But it hasn’t altered our trajectory. It was a game, in the middle of a break, we needed, and we’ve got no regrets about it.

“But, do we have a point to prove? Yeah, we always do. We’re going to be on a very big stage, we’re a very proud team and we want to play well.

“It’s not easy winning these tournaments – this one particularly. We’re in a strong rugby country, with some strong nations and it’s going to be a special tournament. No doubt each of us have to be at the peak of our game.“

It’s also a massive opportunity for Dalton Papalii, who nudge sout Luke Jacobson to start just his second test in the No 6 jersey.

“You dream of this moment and sometimes it never comes true,” said the 26-test loosie. “In my case it has. When I first got told I was over the moon. Some feelings you can’t put into words. I’m so proud to represent this team, my family, and get my last name on the world stage. I’m shaking even talking about it now.”

Meanwhile Foster clarified the All Blacks’ attitude to a potential French response to their haka.

“That’s their choice,“ he said. “Historically they have sometimes and not other times, and we’re at peace with that. We’re happy for the opposition to respond however they want to.

“One thing I do know is they will respect it because they have a history of respecting the haka. The fact they may respond in different ways is not seen by us as a lack of respect.”

This will be the eighth World Cup meeting between France and New Zealand. Two have been in finals (both won by the All Blacks, in 1987 and 2011) and twice Les Bleus have knocked them out famously in the knockout rounds (in a semi in 1999 and a quarterfinal in 2007).