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Will ‘Foster’s imposters’ be sent packing at Ellis Park?

Marc Hinton in Johannesburg

If there is a consoling thought for New Zealand rugby fans wavering between despair and disgust over the fortunes of their beloved All Blacks, it may be this: tomorrow’s clash against the sturdy Springboks at Ellis Park is every chance of being the last time we see ‘‘Foster’s Imposters’’, as they’ve been dubbed, in their current guise.

This second Rugby Championship matchup, where altitude will meet attitude in another chapter in this engaging rugby rivalry, has the feeling of an end point about it. Or, if you prefer, the genesis of a new era that will follow soon after.

This downtrodden, discombobulated New Zealand team, struggling for form, rhythm, consistency and a discernible plan, is surely about to be blown up, probably regardless of whether they manage an unlikely turnaround, or slump to a second straight defeat to the surging South Africans, on the back of

July’s home series loss to Ireland.

Ian Foster appears to be on borrowed time as All Blacks head coach – the die cast. A fifth defeat in the last six test matches last weekend, and a third straight for 2022, likely sealed his fate.

Maybe a miracle saves him. But it’s likely there is no avenue from which he remains in the job.

It only remains to be seen what form the solution takes. Is it a short-term proposition, such as Joe Schmidt; or a long-term answer in the form of the people’s (and Super Rugby’s) champion, Scott ‘‘Razor’’ Robertson?

It’s probable Foster’s bosses at NZ Rugby had seen enough on the back of the 26-10 defeat to the Boks in Mbombela last weekend to open the southern hemisphere test championship, though machinations behind the scenes will determine exactly what form the next move takes. It could come as early as tomorrow.

One thing that has become apparent, through the consecutive defeats to Ireland and France in their backyards last November, the ignominious collapse from 1-0 up to a 2-1 series loss to Ireland at home in July, and then last weekend’s comprehensive near record stuffing by the Boks in Mbombela, is that under Foster these All Blacks are going nowhere fast.

Their attack has lost its shape, its cohesiveness and much of its purpose and precision, and has failed abysmally to solve the puzzle of the rush defence.

There is individual brilliance throughout, but teamwork is a long way off where it needs to be to sustain a challenge against the leading teams in the world.

Other areas remain concerns. The highball work in Mbombela was short of the mark, even though it was well signposted what was coming. The All Blacks were beaten to the punch at the breakdown, too, as they were bested for long periods by the Irish forwards in July. Basic errors continue to haunt this team too.

Maybe Foster’s men shake out of their stupor at Ellis Park and strike a blow for their own sagging credibility, as well as their embattled coach’s. But it’s much easier to imagine a scenario where that brutal Boks pack, their disciplined attack, that committed chase, that unerring physicality continue to put the New Zealanders in the grinder at the ground where they hold a 9-5 historic winning record over their rivals.

Foster, perhaps surprisingly, has stuck mostly with his men form Mbombela, making just four changes to his starting lineup, and bringing Codie Taylor and Fletcher Newell (for a debut) on to his bench. Richie Mo’unga gets a deserved start at No 10, with Beauden Barrett dropping to the bench, and props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax and No 6 Shannon Frizell are all promoted after promising turns off the pine last weekend.

Adding to the difficulty is the Ellis Park factor. As Barrett noted, it’s a great place to play rugby, and a daunting one.

‘‘We’re in the highveld, it’s 1600-1700m above sea level, so it stings when you breathe, when your enter fatigue, the ball travels further, the intensity of the Springboks matches the hostility in the crowd, green jerseys everywhere, afternoon rugby . . . it’s rugby at its best,’’ he said.

Skipper Sam Cane uttered similar words on the peculiar challenges faced this week, which include low-flying planes and highaltitude handbrakes.

‘‘I remember driving in and the fans are slapping on the bus, making plenty of noise. It’s a hostile environment, but we like playing in places like this that really test you. It feels like 15 of you out there against the world.’’

Foster said in the leadup it wasn’t about those five defeats in the last six, or the shortcomings, or the doubts. It was just all about rising to one of the great challenges in test rugby on a late Saturday afternoon (local time) in Johannesburg.

‘‘We can’t shirk away or worry about what’s happened in the past; we’ve just got to go out and respond the way we know we need to,’’ he said.

Indeed, Foster’s Imposters must find a way to wind back the clock, and play like All Blacks of the recent past. Anything less, and this sorry era ends on the bleakest of notes.

Teamwork is a long way off where it needs to be to sustain a challenge against the leading teams in the world.

Sport

en-nz

2022-08-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282836489859749

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