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All Blacks: Ian Foster’s men ready to ‘ambush’ this year’s Rugby World Cup says Justin Marshall

Former New Zealand scrum-half Justin Marshall believes that the current side will go into the 2023 Rugby World Cup with less pressure than in previous global tournaments.

The All Blacks struggled in the early part of the 2022 season, suffering defeats in four of their first six games, before they finished the campaign with a seven-match unbeaten run.

Ian Foster’s men also once again claimed the Rugby Championship as the head honcho saved his job when he was teetering on the brink.

New coaches Joe Schmidt and James Ryan have proved to be influential additions to Foster’s backroom team, and it gives them hope that they can reclaim the world title.

Hosts are the favourites

France, who are the hosts and reside in second in the global rankings, are the favourites with Ireland and South Africa also shaping up nicely.

That means all eyes won’t firmly be fixed on the All Blacks, who go into most World Cups expected to win the title.

“When you look at the current state of the game at the moment, the All Blacks are by no means standing out as better than any of the other sides,” Marshall told The Platform.

“On any given day, probably the top four teams in the world could beat the All Blacks, and they’ve shown that in the last two years.

“There’s nothing secret about that, that’s just statistically has happened.

“In my mind, I feel that that pressure has been alleviated, now it’s just about the ambition to play.

“It’s just whether or not the All Blacks can come out of their shell and be the side we know they can be, and not worry about the fact that they’re a side that’s under pressure.

“I don’t feel that the pressure come September, October, will be on them; definitely gonna be on France, the home nation… and certainly it will be on Ireland.”

Change during the 2022 season

In the early part of the 2022 campaign, the All Blacks lacked a definitive style of play as they succumbed to a series defeat to Ireland and also lost matches to South Africa and Argentina.

Ryan and Schmidt were brought in ahead of the start of the Rugby Championship and their influence soon became evident.

As a result, New Zealand showed improvements and Marshall believes that they have set the template for them to kick on and potentially win the World Cup.

“It’s an opportunity for the All Blacks to change the way they’re playing, to show the rest of the world something different, start playing to our strengths, and produce the type of rugby the rest of the world hasn’t seen then play in a couple of years.

“That’s their opportunity to ambush that Rugby World Cup.”

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