Analysis - 'Goodwill' is a word associated quite a bit with Scott Robertson's tenure as All Black coach so far. He came in with plenty of it, there's a decent display of it whenever he's in front of a camera, and he's using a decent share of it to quell worries about the team's direction after three losses so far in 2024. Of course, it hasn't stopped some sections of All Black fandom comparing Robertson to his predecessor Ian Foster.
It's a natural thing, especially for a public that generally treats the All Blacks like a sitting government rather than a sports team, with a very much 'what have you done for me lately' expectation. Robertson knew that full well going in, but while a lot of that noise can be dealt with by simply pointing out that the Springboks are current world champions, this weekend things get far less easy to brush off. Because you can say whatever you like about Foster and plenty have, however one fact cannot be disputed: the man absolutely owned the Wallabies.
If there is to be any comparison between him and Robertson, it should be over there next two tests because if Robertson's All Blacks can't keep up that record, some serious questions need to be asked. Foster's record against the Wallabies finished with nine wins, a loss and a draw, with those negative results coming in the pandemic-affected first season in charge. 2020 also yielded a 43-5 win in Sydney, which is the biggest winning margin the All Blacks have ever had in 140 years of trans-Tasman rug.