Former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster will lead the coaching staff of a combined Australia-New Zealand XV to take on the British and Irish Lions later this year.
Foster will join the combined First Nations & Pasifika XV side for the clash which has been confirmed to take place in Adelaide on July 12.
The 59-year-old is currently coaching Japan Rugby League One outfit Toyota Verblitz after his four-year reign as All Blacks head coach ended with a narrow 12-11 defeat against the Springboks in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in France.
Foster has been reunited at Toyota Verblitz with another former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who is the Japanese club’s director of rugby.
Foster was Hansen’s assistant when the All Blacks’ three-Test series against the Lions finished all square at 1-1 after the deciding Test at Eden Park in Auckland ended in a 15-15 draw and the combined Australia-New Zealand XV’s coach admitted that he has “unfinished business” with Andy Farrell’s side.
“1-1 and a draw. It didn’t leave any of us very satisfied,” Foster told Reuters on Thursday.
‘There is unfinished business’
“Yeah, there is unfinished business. I think if you look back to the last minute of that Lions series – the third Test at Eden Park and the drama of it, referee decisions that obviously we disagreed with and probably most people did.
“But that’s the drama of big series and that’s the part to look forward to.”
Foster said he expects plenty of curveballs when taking on the Lions again.
“There will always be drama and incidents involved in a Lions series,” he added. “So the chance to get involved – yeah, that would be quite nice to tick the box, wouldn’t it?”
The match between the First Nations & Pasifika XV and the Lions will take place during the July Test window which means that no current All Blacks will be included in the combined Australia-New Zealand as the fixture coincides with France’s three-Test series in New Zealand.
However, former All Blacks stars like Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga, who are currently playing for Japanese clubs, could play in the fixture while Australian players based with Super Rugby team with First Nations or Pacific Island heritage should also be in the running to be included in the First Nations & Pasifika XV.
Foster is expecting his combined team to have a 60-40 split between Australian and New Zealand players, and revealed that there are several Japan-based New Zealanders who want to play in the game.
“Maybe put a few younger, up-and-coming Australian players with some older heads maybe from ex-All Blacks and then maybe try to find a few older Wallaby heads,” he said.
“That combination between the young and old, I think, is more important.”
On the day that the final ticket allocation for the eagerly-anticipated series went on sale, RA chief executive Phil Waugh revealed that the clash between the trans-Tasman outfit and the famous touring team will be a replacement fixture for the Melbourne Rebels v Lions match which was scheduled to take place on July 22.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be able to offer the last available tickets for what’s going to be an absolutely unforgettable Lions tour throughout June, July and August,” said Waugh.
“With just 100 days to go until the first match, it’s certainly not far away and whether you’re a lifelong Rugby supporter, a general sports fan or someone who loves live events, this Tour is something you must be a part of.
“It’s particularly pleasing to have tickets available across all categories, allowing more Australians, and those travelling, to be there in the stands for what truly is a bucket list live sporting event.
‘Thrilled to confirm the First Nations & Pasifika XV match’
“We’re also thrilled to be able to confirm the First Nations & Pasifika XV match in Melbourne, which will be a great celebration of those who continue to contribute enormously to the Australian Rugby community.”
The final allocation represents the last chance for supporters to purchase tickets, with half a million fans expected to attend the nine matches across six cities and six weeks.
It begins in Perth with the Western Force hosting the Lions, which is exactly 100 days away on June 28.
The first Test between the Wallabies and the Lions will take place in Brisbane on July 19, with the initial ticket allocation exhausted in just 60 minutes last year.
Following this, the action heads to the Melbourne Cricket Ground seven days later before Sydney’s Accor Stadium is set to be the location for another potential series decider.
British & Irish Lions chief executive Ben Calveley is looking forward to the tour to Australia and is excited that the schedule has been finalised.
“It is fantastic to confirm the match schedule for the 2025 Tour with the added fixture against a First Nations & Pasifika XV at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium – a game that everyone at the Lions is hugely excited about,” he said.
“With the tour schedule confirmed, we are also excited to see the final ticket allocation released. Together we are set to welcome more than half a million fans at games in 2025 for what will be an amazing spectacle in one of the greatest sporting countries in the world.
“For our own Lions supporters, Wallabies fans and global sporting fanatics, this is the last opportunity to purchase tickets and be part of what will be a truly special six weeks.”
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/ian-foster-confirmed-as-combined-australia-new-zealand-xv-coach-for-unfinished-business-against-british-irish-lions
