New Zealand wing Julian Savea has slammed what he believes are personal attacks on beleaguered All Blacks coach Ian Foster’s character following a poor run of results.
Foster has borne the brunt of the criticism as the All Blacks slumped to five losses in their past six Test matches, including a historic home series loss to Ireland and a record-margin defeat by the Springboks in Mbombela.
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New Zealand media, former players, pundits and fans have all weighed in on the tactical and leadership errors that Foster may have made during his stint as All Blacks coach since being appointed in the hot seat in 2020.
However, Savea, who earned his 54 Test caps for the All Blacks between 2012 and 2017 when Foster was an assistant coach under Steve Hansen, said some of the criticism has gone way over the top.
“Shocked and disturbed at some of the comments and remarks I’ve seen and heard about Ian Foster on social media lately,” Savea wrote on his Twitter account.
“In a country where mental health is a big issue, where 72% of suicides are men and a high number of depression amongst men, you would think people would be a bit kinder and think about their words before they make remarks on someone’s integrity, appearance and character, especially when they don’t know them on a personal level.
“I’m ashamed that this is how a human is treated and dragged in the media here in NZ.”
— Julian Savea (@juliansavea7) August 9, 2022
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
