Yep, scapegoat heaven. 

I can't recall a time where I have loathed a person like Robinson more in recent times. He is totally unfit to be CEO. Foster doesn't deserve this treatment, regardless of his failings perceived or otherwise.

If they sack him, I hope he sues them for mental anguish and constructive dismissal and gets a boat load of money.

Handle9: Screw NZR and Mark Robinson. What a bunch of spineless weasels. Foster has to put up with another week of this crap.

Did you genuinely think that firing in one test was going to change the tide? This isn't a video game where you get another life if you win a game.  There are powerful powers at play here, and this has only been heightened by the enormous investment by Silverlakes.  You think they want an average brand on the down?  The mistake by MR was holding a press conference at all, as the decision was clearly made prior to this series to review based on the outcomes.  Why would MR stick his neck out, and predetermine that process?Equally saying nothing would have been just as ominous in the medias eyes, so I dont know..

Let us all not forget the last 4 years (yes into Hansens final year), because of a single excellent performance, not perfect - but quite excellent!

Now for my take on the game.  The key differences 

- The forwards turned up, and gave the SA a taste of rush defence, and ultimately took away their front foot ball.  Equally we used our tried and true method of rumbling phase play to damage their rush on us, which brings me to point 2

- We stopped kicking our possession away.  Aaron smith got rid of his box kick, and used the ball.  In fact the two times dumb kicks inside our 22 were done (Havili, Mo'unga) we ultimately lost points, let that be a lesson

- SA started the wrong hooker, and paid dearly

- The centers finally fired a shot! I thought Havili was excellent, and easily his best game, if he can provide that form of consistently he is a starter for me.  Also he should not kick :|

Other thoughts

- Mo'unga had a great game, and it will do well for his confidence, I thought the ball he got this week was good quality and allowed him to play well, not a fair comparison to last week.

- Clarke looked lost at times, and he offers physicality but missing tackles, and running in misreading play made him look newer than his 3 seasons would suggest he is, not my first choice winger

itxteme: We stopped kicking our possession away. Aaron smith got rid of his box kick, and used the ball. In fact the two times dumb kicks inside our 22 were done (Havili, Mo'unga) we ultimately lost points, let that be a lesson

the coach has been absorbing all the poison darts in the last 2 months, shielding his players 100%. never blamed the players for anything. praise them for good performance and every little improvement.

meanwhile NZ rugby ... behaving like Donald Trump throwing everybody under the bus to protect his own business interests.

nothing personal, just business

Amazing the difference a week makes.

They played South Africa into the ground, on the high-veldt. I expected SA to have more puff at Ellis Park, but they ran out of puff pretty early on (most of their subs done in the first 40?).

ABs passing, and more importantly, catching was a lot better (still not 'ABs good' IMO, but much improved). The maul, and impressively, maul defence was great (apart form a couple of times they got pinged for lifting in the maul). Great under the high ball. Great platform to build on (and it looks like Argentina will come to play in a couple of weeks!)

As for the coaching, never been a Foster fan, but the way he's been treated (by both the media/social media and NZR) is shameful.

I agree, I'd have thought we kicked less too! Having said that, near the end of the match it showed we had twice the number of kick metres for a similar number of kicks to the Boks. 

Handle9: It’s funny how you see what you think you see. Last week we kicked 16 times, this week we kicked 19 times.

itxteme: We stopped kicking our possession away. Aaron smith got rid of his box kick, and used the ball. In fact the two times dumb kicks inside our 22 were done (Havili, Mo'unga) we ultimately lost points, let that be a lesson

Handle9: It’s funny how you see what you think you see. Last week we kicked 16 times, this week we kicked 19 times.

itxteme: We stopped kicking our possession away. Aaron smith got rid of his box kick, and used the ball. In fact the two times dumb kicks inside our 22 were done (Havili, Mo'unga) we ultimately lost points, let that be a lesson

Its not the number of kicks, its how you kick.  Last 5 games we have kicked from the base repeatedly and not competed.  There is literally no point kicking a bomb, inside your own half if you cannot contest.  That did not happen this week.

Handle9: Sack him or don’t. I’d prefer he moved on but I don’t think it’ll really matter in this World Cup cycle.

Refusing to publicly support the coach and making him live week to week is disgusting. If you are part of an organisation you deserve the organisations support, regardless of what is going on behind the scenes. When I moved into management that was a lesson I was taught- regardless of what your guys do you have to stand with them. It’s basic human decency and part of your job. If that makes you personally unpopular so be it.

Robinson could have supported Foster publicly and still sacked him based on results. It happens all the time and is a reasonable way to publicly behave towards an employee.

Publicly undermining him by refusing to support him is disgusting.

I dont get it, they are deciding that later in the week.  There is no sack him or dont...  How are they making him live week to week?  Is there no ability to have accountability? What exactly did MR say that said he didnt stand with him?  He only refused to be drawn into the process that is occurring, and was no doubt set in motion by the Irish losses.  I think you are being overly sensitive to his use of the English language, and your preferance isa for him to lie and say his job is safe (its not!).

If you should be unhappy with anyone it should be the vitirol of the NZ media.  

The media have been relentless and vicious and the public have been much the same. The level of personal attacks on the guy is truly gross. Considering Paul Green killed himself a week ago.......

Having said that, the way NZR have handled this the whole way through, gives no certainty to a guy whos job is hard enough as it is. Would you be able to do a great job if every few weeks it was I may have a job in a fortnight, I may not have a job in a fortnight?

How many employment reviews should they reasonably have in a 12-month period. There was one in December, after the Irish series, another now, what if he loses against Argentina? Every time he loses or the team doesn't play well, the questions will come up. 

MR should have sacked him or endorsed him fully till the end of the cycle.  He should now what his future is now, it should have been made clear at the Irish series review that he had to win x from x matches in SA or they would sack him, and at no point should MR have come out and thrown him under the bus the way he had. Whatever is happening, he should have had the support of his boss to the public. MR's comments have incited an already rabbid public into a pitchfork-wielding insanity. No one should be subjected to that. 

I guess it's a bit like an English Premier League manager. Not saying it's right. Man U have lost (heavily) their first two games of the season. How long will the manager there last?

The CEO of Watercare through seeming negligence was responsible for a water crisis for 1.5 Million people last year and got less heat than the guy in charge of a sports team that has lost some games against the best teams in the world right now. 

networkn:

 

The media have been relentless and vicious and the public have been much the same. The level of personal attacks on the guy is truly gross. Considering Paul Green killed himself a week ago.......

 

Having said that, the way NZR have handled this the whole way through, gives no certainty to a guy whos job is hard enough as it is. Would you be able to do a great job if every few weeks it was I may have a job in a fortnight, I may not have a job in a fortnight?

 

How many employment reviews should they reasonably have in a 12-month period. There was one in December, after the Irish series, another now, what if he loses against Argentina? Every time he loses or the team doesn't play well, the questions will come up. 

 

MR should have sacked him or endorsed him fully till the end of the cycle.  He should now what his future is now, it should have been made clear at the Irish series review that he had to win x from x matches in SA or they would sack him, and at no point should MR have come out and thrown him under the bus the way he had. Whatever is happening, he should have had the support of his boss to the public. MR's comments have incited an already rabbid public into a pitchfork-wielding insanity. No one should be subjected to that. 

 

Your wrong, they have a review after every tour, none of this is unusual.  They even highlighted issues post the Northern tour last year, giving them their last chance.  Do you honestly think it was going to be OK to continue losing? The fact of the matter is that a certain level of performance is required, and Fosters stats are the worst of any modern NZ coach.  You might think he should sack him or allow him the cycle, but the cycle is an arbitrary date that you have in your mind, while the damage to the brand continues.  Its NZR job to do the best by their organisation, and ignoring the losses is foolish.

They are running a business and for some bizarre reason in your opinion there should be a continuation of the rot, rather than stamping it out??  The All Blacks may just become the Man U of union! I am still waiting for either of you to actually say what Robinson said that was so offensive to you in regards to Foster??