Former All Blacks prop Carl Hayman says Ian Foster deserves to see out the year in his position as New Zealand’s head coach despite going into the Rugby Championship under pressure after a poor run of results.
The All Blacks will face the Springboks in South Africa over the next two weekends on the back of a historic home series loss to Ireland.
Whether Foster is still the right man for the job has been intensely questioned after a run of four losses in the past five Test matches.
Foster has been backed by New Zealand Rugby to continue in his role in the opening weekends of the Rugby Championship, but have refused to confirm whether he will continue beyond that.
In an interview with French publication Midi Olympique, Hayman, who played 45 Tests for New Zealand, said Foster should be allowed to see out the rest of the Test calendar, even though Scott Robertson has been favoured to replace the All Blacks coach.
“There is enormous pressure on Foster and the results put him in trouble,” Hayman told Midi Olympique.
”But I will give him time to finish this year, to defend his choices and his work during the Rugby Championship and then the autumn tour. At that point, it will be time to take stock and make the right decisions. And then, what are the other solutions?
“A lot of people are pushing for Scott Robertson. He has some pretty incredible results with the Crusaders and Robertson has already said that if he does not get the job at the head of the All Blacks, he will try an experience abroad.
“This makes this file particularly delicate to manage for the NZR. For 10 or 20 years, New Zealand has already seen many of its best coaches go abroad. In Europe, in particular.
“This is a real problem for our rugby. All these great coaches put their talents to the benefit of other nations. Robertson’s situation is therefore particularly scrutinised in the country.”
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Hayman played in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, both of which finished in disappointment for New Zealand.
He believes the All Blacks have more than enough time to turn things around before next year’s World Cup in France.
”Many people are very critical of the All Blacks. It has been a very long time since we had experienced such periods of difficulty. There is frustration and the supporters are very vocal. I try to keep a little more perspective,” Hayman said.
“I believe that professional sport is made of cycles. New Zealand have often been dominant, it’s true, and they really experienced an exceptional period after the failure of 2007. This was the starting point of a fabulous era. But the heroes of the titles of 2011 and 2015 have now retired. We have to rebuild. This is our current cycle. That takes time.
“History shows us that a lot can happen in a year. The favourite of a World Cup has not always been the winner, far from it. The reverse is also true,” Hayman added.
“In 2011, for example, France reached the final after a failed group stage and a defeat against Tonga. The final, the French should certainly have won it, if we are honest. This shows how quickly a dynamic can be reversed. It’s not too late for New Zealand.”
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Photo: Getty Images
