‘Winning every Test’ is the All Blacks’ simple Rugby World Cup preparation

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster insists that the best way to prepare for the Rugby World Cup in France is by “winning every Test”.

With the global showpiece rapidly approaching, teams are trying to use the limited games they have left to optimise their preparation.

There are many schools of thought as to the best way to do this with the Springboks, for example, splitting squads between their first two Rugby Championship Tests to likely target the All Blacks game.

Winning is all that matters

For Foster it is simple, every game matters with winning is the ultimate goal.

“It’s always about winning every Test,” Foster said on The Platform.

“I think you can fudge it and say you want to build and say it’s all about the World Cup, and let’s be honest, we all know it’s the trophy that matters the most for us at the end of the year.

“The best way for us to prepare for that… we want to be dominant from Test one.

“We want to use these opportunities ahead of us (in) the Rugby Championship, the Bled, and that game in London against South Africa, to really test our combinations, to challenge ourselves.

“I don’t think you really test yourself well enough if you give yourself a mental out of saying the game doesn’t matter. I think it does matter for us.

“From a mindset perspective, we want to attack, we want to play well, and we really think it’s important for us to do that to climb on that plane and go to France in the right state.”

Squad selection comes hand in hand with reaction and opinion from fans and pundits alike. Foster admits that he likes people to share their thoughts while also underlining that a great deal of debate has gone into the squad selection.

“I hear lots and I really respect people have got different views. I actually like that” Foster added. “I do chuckle when people say, ‘Have you thought of this?’

“I just want to reassure you, we do actually think about some things.

“That’s what the last three months (have been) about, it’s about filtering different plans and sometimes people have really good ideas that solve a problem but there’s a reaction that creates another one.”

Ardie Savea’s best position

Foster also addressed the call made earlier this week by All Blacks great Jeff Wilson to use the influential Ardie Savea from the bench as an impact player rather than a starter.

“I’ve got no doubt that the likes of Ardie would be an outstanding bench player but he’s also an outstanding starter. What you gain in one aspect, you want to make sure you don’t lose in the other,” he said.

“Clearly we’ve got a plan… we’ve always looked at Super Rugby form, we get excited by it, but we have to interpret Super Rugby form and translate that into Test match rugby.”

The All Blacks begin their Rugby Championship campaign with a trip to Argentina to face Los Pumas on July 8 before facing the Springboks in Auckland a week later. Their tournament ends against the Wallabies.

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