Foster warns Springboks, AllBlacks did it first

http://www.allblacks.com/news/20699/Foster-warns-Springboks-AllBlacks-did-it-first

The Springboks will contemplate bringing a more expansive approach to Soccer City this weekend, but All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said that it took time to make sure such an attack worked.

 Johan Goosen’s selection saw the Springboks play more attacking rugby than they had all season, and the way the Free State 20-year-old ran the backline had more than a hint of All Blacks about it.

Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer has said that the performance against the Wallabies was merely indicative of how the side had been aiming to play all season, which could result in the home team looking to break off the shackles and defeat the All Blacks in the Republic for the second straight year.

However Foster said playing such a style took time, with the All Blacks throughout The Investec Rugby Championship looking to play an up tempo game – and after some frustrations the chips fell into place in La Plata.

“If you play an expansive game it does come with a risk of errors,” he said.

“We've probably been through that process a little bit already and it doesn't come naturally you've got to work hard at it.”

While the Springboks were potentially looking at reinventing themselves, Foster said the All Blacks would not be changing anything.

“For us it is business as normal on our game,” he said.

“We want to keep running our game to us it is about how well we play and that is really important to us. Our game's reasonably obvious, we don't change it too much, if teams want to stretch us that is their decision and if they do it well then we are under stress and we have to defend well.”