PARIS : New Zealand coach Ian Foster reckons his side will have to scrap their way through Friday’s World Cup semi-final to overcome Argentina in what he predicted would be a similar battle to the one they had against Ireland last week.
New Zealand staved off a late surge by the Irish to ensure a 28-24 quarter-final win over the top-ranked team at the Stade de France last Saturday and expect a similarly bruising encounter.
“It will only be different in that they’ll have different jerseys on but we know they’re a very physically combative team, particularly the breakdown and … the way that they take off,” Foster told a press conference on the eve of the Paris clash.
“So it’s a little bit of the same from what we had in the quarter-finals and we’re not going in with any different mindset in that space. We’re playing a team that we know will scrap and fight for every little bit of possession and we’re going to have to be at our best.”
The All Blacks coach said their surprise semi-final defeat by England at the last World Cup in Japan was long forgotten and he hailed his players’ focus ahead of Friday’s game.
“Most of the talk about 2019 we covered off in about that amount of time,” said Foster, indicating a brief period with his finger, “and it’s not lingering in our minds because you take the lessons at the time and then you apply the lessons.
“What I’m really proud about this group right now is that they’re just loving being here, where they are right now.
“I think the hardest thing to do in professional sport is to stay in the now, to actually be present and just focused on the thing in front of you, because there’s so much talk about the past and talk about the future.
“And the hardest thing is to not allow yourself to get distracted by those conversations but just to be the best you can be right now. We’re working hard at that,” he added.
New Zealand, who start as favourites, have won three World Cups and are seeking to reach a fifth final.
Source: CNA
