Opinion: The pros and cons of backing Ian Foster as All Blacks head coach until the 2023 Rugby World Cup

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced on Wednesday that they will back head coach Ian Foster to lead the All Blacks through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Foster has been under tremendous pressure this year after a series loss to Ireland and a further defeat to South Africa, leaving the All Blacks in fifth spot in the world rankings at a point during the 2022 Test season.

With the head coach remaining in the hot-seat in New Zealand, Planet Rugby breaks down the pros and cons of keeping Foster at the helm.

Stability for the next year: Speculation around Foster’s role has been ongoing for almost over a month, and NZR did not provide any clarity around the coach’s job security despite having repeated opportunities to offer an update on the coaching situation. Now that the 57-year-old is confirmed to stay on, he and the squad can continue their Test season with the certainty that Foster will remain as coach. This is absolutely critical for a team heading into a Rugby World Cup year. There needs to be complete buy-in to the project from top to bottom, and the All Blacks will certainly be better off after being given clarity to their situation.

A decision supported by the players: The intense pressure thrown at the head coach was primarily from fans and New Zealand media, which ruthlessly attacked Foster and his methods seemingly constantly. However, it is clear the players have total faith in the coach, having backed him in the media throughout the tough patch. For example, Ardie Savea took to his social media to show his support of Foster after the All Blacks’ strong 35-23 win over the Springboks last weekend. It seems the ideal situation for the players, who will be eager to continue their Test season without a storm cloud