Under-pressure All Blacks coach Ian Foster lambasted the New Zealand media after the Kiwis beat the world-champion Springboks in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
MORE: Mentally frail Springboks bomb
The All Blacks’ 35-23 victory halted a horror run in which New Zealand lost five of six Test matches, with critics having widely reported in the build up to the Ellis Park clash that a second loss to the Boks within a week would lead to Foster quitting or being sacked.
“[Media criticism] comes with the job, but it has been a pretty vicious onslaught, particularly from the New Zealand media,” Foster told reporters post-match on Saturday.
“[But] calling them ‘popgun selections’ I feel is quite insulting to players who are giving their all for the country. But these times are the best test of character.
“I’m intensely proud of the performance. I could not be more proud. To do that at altitude with the game swinging around; there were times we could have won and times we could have lost.
KEO: Inspired All Blacks embarrass sympathetic Springboks
“It was 0-0 for a long time and you could feel it was a real arm-wrestle, but that is what South Africa are like here.
“You have to bide your time and we wanted to target the second half and tired legs with the way we wanted to play.”
Skipper Sam Cane has also been under constant media attack, with some questioning not only his leadership skills, but whether he even deserved his place.
“Adversity really challenges your character and this group has got plenty of character,” said Cane, who scored the first of four tries for the All Blacks on Saturday.
“There has never been a question of how much we care or how much we want it.”
Ngā mihi @Springboks ? pic.twitter.com/QSBT5xCN0L
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 13, 2022
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Darren England/EPA
