IAN FOSTER, THE All Blacks coach, has echoed Eddie Jones’ assessment that rugby is on the verge of turning into a ‘card festival’.
After yesterday’s dramatic game in Dunedin, where Ireland exploited their numerical advantage to beat the All Blacks in the second test of this three-match series, Foster is being subjected to intense scrutiny from the New Zealand Press and public.
No surprise then that attention was diverted to the issue of officiating after New Zealand played the majority of Saturday’s Test with 14 players following Angus Ta’avao’s sending off.
Two further All Blacks players, Leicester Fainga’anuku and Ofa Tuungafasi, received yellow cards while Ireland’s James Ryan also spent ten minutes in the bin.
This prompted England coach, Eddie Jones, to throw his opinion into the conversation.
“The game’s gone out of control,” Jones said. “We saw the New Zealand-Ireland test, at one stage the commentators couldn’t count how many players were on the field. Seriously. And they had three backs packing the scrum.”
World Rugby have made a conscious effort to improve the safety aspect of the game in recent years, hence the increasing number of dismissals. Ta’avao’s on Saturday was just the seventh time an All Blacks player has received a red card.
“I think it’s too far,” Foster said today. “I think we’re in danger of turning the game into a card festival.
“There were clearly strong messages sent out last week [by World Rugby]. There was a feeling that we should have had four yellow cards last week, so that seemed to be the mindset that went into this game.”
Foster did however state he accepted referee Jaco Peyper’s decisions.
Winger Fainga’anuku was yellow carded for a foul on Mack Hansen; prop Tuungafasi was sent to the bin for tackling a player without the ball; replacement prop Tuungafasi was then red carded for a head-on-head clash with Garry Ringrose.
“If you look at our cards, you’ve just got to look at them singularly,” Foster said. “We get the one for Leicester Fainga’anuku (yellow carded for a foul on Mack Hansen). I think that’s incredibly unfortunate, but they are the rules, so I don’t think there’s anything in that one.
“Ofa (Tuungafasi) we accept, and Angus (Ta’avao) we kind of accept.
“I think most people could see a change in the direction and a big prop (Ta’avao) reacting and a collision. That’s pretty unfortunate, but it is what it is.
“Clearly we’ve got to get better but there are a few situations we’re going to go and ask why things didn’t happen our way,” he said. “But that’s a normal process.
“The trouble is when you lose it sounds like you’re sulking, but we’re just going to keep clarity on the equitable side of how the game is being officiated.”
Ta’avao is out of next week’s game in Wellington with a head injury. Caleb Clarke is also unavailable as speculation mounts that Will Jordan is going to come back into the starting XV and that Foster is going to change his centre combination.
The biggest news of all, however, is that Sam Whitelock might be available next Saturday after the second row missed out on Saturday’s game with concussion.
“As per the protocols, Sam can train early this week,” Foster said. “And then I think gets tested on the 12th day, but the signs are looking really good for him.”
Foster also confirmed that he would be speaking to World Rugby’s head of match officials Joel Jutge to get a clarification on the reasons why they were unable to get Ardie Savea back on the pitch.
The All Blacks No8 was forced off when New Zealand were reduced to 13 players for a stage in the first half following ref Peyper’s carding of props Tuungafasi and Ta’avao.
On 35 minutes, when New Zealand were restored to 14 men, Savea wanted to come back on – but couldn’t because of a quirk in rugby’s laws. The All Blacks wanted to replace Dalton Papali’i instead but couldn’t.
“There was clearly confusion around the red card and what could happen after that,” Foster said.
“To be fair to everyone it was a revolving door there for a little while, but we’re seeking clarification, and what happened was not what we thought should happen.
“There’s no doubt that we wanted Ardie to go back on.”