Ian Foster responds to the Springboks' tactics against Japan and suggests the Boks are playing mind game

Ian Foster responds to the Springboks' tactics against Japan and suggests the Boks are playing mind game

All Blacks' assistant coach Ian Foster has responded to Rassie Erasmus' suggestion that the Springboks purposely gave possession away to Japan to prepare for their World Cup opener against New Zealand.

South Africa claimed a 41-7 win over the Brave Blossoms despite having only 36 percent possession - a tactic head coach Rassie Erasmus later admitted was employed to prepare for the All Blacks.

 

 



 


Speaking to Sky Sport after the All Blacks' first full training session in Kashiwa, Foster suggested the Boks were playing mind games with their tactics.

Foster did dub the call as a "smart move", however, he warned that the strategy could backfire when the sides meet in Yokohama.

"You don't really know whether they were doing that deliberately or whether it's part of their tactics. They're a team that kicks well and kicks a lot it, while Japan is very aggressive with their line speed, so it certainly wasn't a bad tactic against the Japanese," Foster said.

"It was probably just a smart move from them, trying a different part of the game [but] what you've got to try to make sure in this business, is that you don't get too smart - you work on one area only to get caught out in another area.

"It's hard to play [mind] games in pre-World Cup games but we know they will be 100 per cent prepared in a week's time. We've got to make sure we are."

Foster said that the All Blacks would stick the fast game New Zealand is renowned for.

"I won't give you too many specifics, but what I can say, is that we have a game we've been trying to develop and been growing. We like to attack, we like to play with ball in hand and for us, the challenge is the skill level and decisions we make there and also the choices we make of when to do it and when not to do it.

 

 

"All Black rugby - we play a fast game and that won't change."

 

 

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