Loss in Dublin was a ‘wake-up call’ for All Blacks

New Zealand coach Ian Foster said the defeat will have taught those on their maiden tour of the northern hemisphere a lesson

New Zealand’s players react after the Test match against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, on 13 November 2021. Photo: PAUL FAITH / AFP

New Zealand’s 29-20 defeat by Ireland on Saturday will serve as a wake-up call to those players experiencing a northern hemisphere tour for the first time, All Blacks coach Ian Foster said. The loss to a dominant Irish side in Dublin on Saturday was only New Zealand’s second of the year after they were beaten 31- 29 by World Cup holders South Africa in October. It was also Ireland’s third win over the All Blacks in the past five years. The visitors came up short in their first really challenging Test on the tour – they had beaten an under-strength…

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New Zealand’s 29-20 defeat by Ireland on Saturday will serve as a wake-up call to those players experiencing a northern hemisphere tour for the first time, All Blacks coach Ian Foster said.

The loss to a dominant Irish side in Dublin on Saturday was only New Zealand’s second of the year after they were beaten 31- 29 by World Cup holders South Africa in October. It was also Ireland’s third win over the All Blacks in the past five years.

The visitors came up short in their first really challenging Test on the tour – they had beaten an under-strength Wales side and breezed past the United States and Italy.

Foster said the defeat will have taught those on their maiden tour of the northern hemisphere that top European sides play a high-pressure game.

“For a number of the players that haven’t been in a big Test up here, they have learned how it’s very different,” said Foster at his post match press conference. “It’s a very high-pressure game. You’ve got to deal with it at the top end; you’ve got to be disciplined.

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“I think there was a little bit of frustration not getting the ball and then we started to concede some penalties as a result of that.”

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The 56-year-old will hope that lesson has been absorbed because the All Blacks face an exciting and talented French side in their final Test this coming Saturday.

Foster – who stepped up from assistant to the head coach role after Steve Hansen left following the 2019 World Cup – added a more patient approach would serve them better.

“Sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves, suck it up and fight your way back into the game,” he said. “Ireland play a high-retention game and by doing that, they put our system under pressure.”

Scrum-half TJ Perenara said the key to the Dublin defeat was possession.

“Straight off the bat from me is it is pretty hard to stop us scoring when we have the ball.”

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