All Blacks boss Ian Foster relaxed over former coach Steve Hansen aiding Australia

LONDON – New Zealand coach Ian Foster insisted on Wednesday he had known for a month that predecessor Steve Hansen had agreed to help rivals Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup.

The 64-year-old is assisting Australia boss Eddie Jones, a long-time friend, as an unpaid adviser this week, while the Wallabies prepare to face World Cup hosts France in a warm-up match in Paris on Saturday.

New Zealand hooker Dane Coles said he was “gobsmacked” by 2015 World Cup-winning coach Hansen’s move.

But Foster, like Coles speaking in London, where the All Blacks are preparing for their warm-up match against reigning world champions South Africa at Twickenham on Friday, was in jovial mood when asked for his views on the subject.

“Outstanding. He (Hansen) has agreed to give me three pages of notes about everything that’s going on in their camp... I chuckle at the headlines,” said Foster.

Formerly Hansen’s assistant in the New Zealand set-up before succeeding his old boss in 2020, the 58-year-old Foster added: “You guys (the media) must be pretty excited by it, but he told me a month ago he was going in.

“He (Hansen) is good mates with Eddie but there’s no lack of trust (between Hansen and New Zealand) and in his commitment to us. I’ve got no issues, really. In fact, we might bring him in for a couple of days.”

The All Blacks and Wallabies have been drawn in different World Cup pools but could meet in the knockout stages of the Sept 8-Oct 28 tournament.

New Zealand play fellow heavyweights France in the opening match on Sept 8, with Pool A also featuring Italy, Namibia and Uruguay. Australia face Wales, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal in Pool C.

Hansen’s “defection” to the Wallabies’ camp led New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to quip the country should “cancel his citizenship”, before adding quickly “that’s a joke – just to be very clear”.

In a phone interview with New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB from Paris, Hansen explained that he is observing Australia as a favour to Jones.

He said he would “just like to put everybody’s mind at rest that I haven’t joined the Wallabies for the Rugby World Cup”.

“I’m only here for about three or four days at the request of Eddie, a good mate of mine, just to give him some feedback on what he is doing. Rugby is bigger than all of us, so happy to do that,” he added.

Hansen insisted his involvement with Australia was on a voluntary basis, saying: “If you are working for someone, you are getting paid. I’m not working for anyone, I’m just here as a friend.”

Another coach with ties to New Zealand at the World Cup is Jamie Joseph, who said on Thursday his Japan side had “turned the page” after a spate of red cards and injuries, as well as anxiety stemming from players concerned over their selection for the showpiece tournament.

Joseph welcomed back Michael Leitch to the starting line-up ahead of their final World Cup tune-up against Italy in Treviso on Saturday, after the former captain served a two-match ban for being sent off against Samoa in July.

Loose forward Pieter Labuschagne is still suspended after his red card in the seventh minute of Japan’s 35-12 loss to Fiji in Tokyo two weeks later.

Joseph said the dismissals had put “a different spin on players’ confidence”, but he backed them to turn it around against the Italians.

“We’ve had all of our bad luck – it’s all over, finished now. We’ve got some good luck coming. In terms of the condition of the team, physically we’re in really good nick. We’ve just got to start playing rugby now,” the New Zealand-born coach said.

The 2019 World Cup quarter-finalists have had mixed results in recent weeks, beating Tonga but losing to both Samoa and Fiji at home.

Joseph said the players’ “anxiety” as they sweated on their World Cup places had been an issue, but he backed them to play with freedom now that he has named his squad.

“Mentally, we’ve turned the page. The selection for the World Cup is important for the players to be able to just really focus on playing,” he said.

Japan kick off their World Cup campaign against Chile in a Pool D clash in Toulouse on Sept 10, before facing Argentina, Samoa and England, who are trying out Ben Earl at the back of the scrum and George Ford at fly half in their final World Cup warm-up test against Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday, following the suspensions of Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola.

Coach Steve Borthwick selected Vunipola as his only specialist No. 8 in their 33-man squad for the World Cup, but has been forced into shuffling his pack.

Vunipola was sent off in last weekend’s defeat in Ireland and handed a ban that means he also misses England’s World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille.

England captain Farrell will be banned for the opening two matches of the World Cup after he received a backdated four-game suspension this week. AFP, REUTERS