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The truth about Kieran Read: All Blacks coach's surprising World Cup claim
By Online Editors
Kieran Read will get better by the World Cup.
That's the assurance from All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster, who made a surprising claim that the under-pressure captain is still on the comeback trail from his back operation in late 2017.
Read will lead the All Blacks into Saturday night's test against Australia in Perth in a loose forward combination under constant scrutiny.
There are strong suggestions Read will be shunted to No. 6, with Ardie Savea taking his long-held spot at No. 8.
But if so, there are no indications as to whether this would be regarded as the top World Cup combination, with the All Blacks set to take their selection and tactical subterfuge into the tournament itself.
But Foster suggested Read is still to hit his physical peak.
"In the last three months we've seen a big rise in the quality of his game," Foster told Newstalk ZB's Martin Devlin.
"I've got no doubt he'll get better before the World Cup. Going way back to when he had the operation, we learnt that it would take 18 months to get back to the level he was….to get that full acceleration and power back.
"We're reasonably happy. At the end of the day he was pretty solid through the tail end of the Super season.
"Like the rest of the Crusaders, he had four days preparation before playing South Africa, which is not the ideal thing to do.
"He's okay and building nicely."
Foster hinted the All Blacks would continue to hone their tactics right up to the World Cup quarter final in Japan.
"Our mind set is we've still got four weeks over there when we can grow our game…keep refining what we're doing," he said
"It's not like you want to go there and show everything on the table. The key is to peak at the right time."
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished again with permission.
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Latest Comments
Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.
Go to commentsKeep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.
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