'A very different stage': Ian Foster on All Blacks' growth since France loss

The Rugby World Cup is a long tournament. It was long enough for South Africa to turn their fortunes in 2019 and go from losing their first match to winning the ultimate prize, so is it long enough for the All Blacks to do the same?

Having lost not just their first match of the tournament against France, but also their final warm-up Test against the Springboks, the New Zealand team were the first to admit there was work to do in chasing their goal of becoming world champions.

The familiar chorus of "good learnings" was echoed through the halls of both Twickenham and Stade de France after consecutive historic losses, but just how far those learnings will get the team is yet to be revealed.

The All Blacks didn't have to wait long for another crack at the world's best, as the final cards of the Rugby World Cup pool stages fell, a date with Ireland in the quarter-finals was confirmed.

With their path to rugby's greatest throne set, Ian Foster's side face the ominous challenge of tackling a team unbeaten in their past 17 encounters.

The coach was optimistic about how the schedule to date has set his side up for the contest.

"I think France was a very different stage for us," he told The Breakdown. "That first game we came in and had that one game at Twickenham, we had gaps either side of that.

"We had a number of injuries, I thought we played well for 50 minutes but we probably learned a few lessons about composure and how to get out of our half in the last 20. So, we've worked hard on that, I guess we'll see how much."

Foster elaborated on the influence of past results as the quarter-final team was named.

"I don't think the past matters. I think you learn a lot from the past but you learn it at the time and it becomes part of who you are and becomes part of you as a team. This team we have prepared well with this in mind.

"If you look at this year, the whole thing was about getting ready for a World Cup and making sure we are primed to perform at this stage of the tournament.

"We are excited. We know the size of the challenge, how good Ireland are, they deserve all the plaudits they get. But, play-off rugby is about who's best on the day."

With the pressure on New Zealand to avoid a first-ever pool stage exit, the team faced a confident Italian team in round four, the Azzuri were yet to taste defeat at the World Cup at that stage and presented a dangerous challenge after relatively recent wins over Wales and Australia.

The All Blacks dismissed the Italians with style and continued their record of allowing no first-half tries at the tournament. That record was extended in their final pool clash against Uruguay.

When asked how the record would fare against Ireland, Foster was surprised, unaware of his team's first-half shutout.

"I didn't know that," he grinned. "But we are working hard on our starts, it's not so much about tactically, a lot of that is about mentally. It's about making sure that you don't go in feeling like you've got to absorb the occasion, absorb the pressure, you've actually got to go and take a step forward in those first few minutes.

"We've been working on that, I feel pretty good about that. I thought against Uruguay, we sat back a little bit and that first 20 minutes, they came and disrupted us a lot and forced us into some errors that we can't afford to happen this week.

"It's a work in progress but it is something that we're really trying to nail our concentration early in the game."