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Leading Under Pressure: The inside story of Ian Foster's All Blacks for fans of LEGACY and THE ART OF WINNING
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26The inside story of Ian Foster's All Blacks
'A stunningly honest and insightful account of what it takes to coach the All Blacks.' - Gregor Paul
Appointed as head coach 2019, Ian Foster led the All Blacks through one of the most tumultuous periods of the team's 120-year history.
Leading Under Pressure is a fascinating look into the pressure cooker inner-sanctum of the world's most famous rugby team. With revelations about Foster's time in the job, it also delves into the politics of rugby, and the events preceding the dramatic 2023 Rugby World Cup.
'A stunningly honest and insightful account of what it takes to coach the All Blacks.' - Gregor Paul
Appointed as head coach 2019, Ian Foster led the All Blacks through one of the most tumultuous periods of the team's 120-year history.
Leading Under Pressure is a fascinating look into the pressure cooker inner-sanctum of the world's most famous rugby team. With revelations about Foster's time in the job, it also delves into the politics of rugby, and the events preceding the dramatic 2023 Rugby World Cup.
288 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 28, 2026
28 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 16, 2025
I wanted to read this after listening to Ian Foster on Between Two Beers podcast. Embarrassingly I was one of the many that questioned his coaching during his time, however this book made me realise there is more to his story than meets the eye (especially within the media). It offered great insight into coaching a high performance team. Ian dealt with covid times, the stupid media, lack of transparency and support from NZR and the CEO, commercial and financial issues and so on. What a leader, many people would learn a thing or two from this read!
July 20, 2025
What a guy. Can't wait for Robbo's book
July 21, 2025
The responsibility of coaching one of the world’s greatest sporting teams in a country where the rugby union code has at times been close to a religion is not a role I would covet. But Ian Foster took it on and lived, through this fascinating biography, to tell his own tale.
Foster came to the All Blacks’ head coaching job after serving as an assistant coach under Graham Henry and then Steve Hansen. That 10-year era, from about 2005 to 2015 was an unprecedented run of success for New Zealand’s ‘men in black’. The team collected back-to-back world cups in 2011 and 2015, and boasted some of the greatest rugby players of all time - in Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Kieran Read, Kevin Mealamu, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and many, many others.
But when Foster took over in 2019, the ABs’ golden era had ended. They were still highly successful, but not to the level of previous years. Many of the aforementioned greats retired after the 2015 World Cup. They had a disappointing drawn home series against the British and Irish Lions in 2017 and they were defeated by England in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, the last game for Steve Hansen as coach. Worse, they had their first ever losses to Argentina and Ireland.
Foster had also come to the job at a time of great commercial change in the sport. Players were increasingly at a young age drifting overseas for more lucrative professional contracts in Japan, France, the UK and Ireland. Crowds were thinning out at matches. Seeking a badly needed cash infusion, NZ Rugby brought in a US private equity firm as an investor in the All Blacks. Foster himself had never had the whole-hearted support of the rugby board, some of whom wanted the younger Scott Robertson, coach of the highly successful Super Rugby provincial team, The Crusaders, to take the reins of the ABs. On top of all that, just as Foster came into the job, COVID hit, devastating the test calendar.
All this is laid out in this heartfelt bio, co-written with respected NZ Herald rugby journalist Gregor Paul. Funnily enough, Paul (a Scotsman) had been one of Foster’s harshest critics but came around to his view after talking to the man himself and seeing what unrelenting pressure he had been under during his tenure. Tellingly, Foster was always well-respected by his players and some of the leaders add their thoughts to the various controversies of the 2019-2023 Foster era within the book. If there was an actual coaching issue, it was with his assistants, John Plumtree and Brad Moar, who were let go half way through his term.
But political subterfuge by New Zealand Rugby’s administrators was the biggest problem. What emerges right from the start of the book is that Foster faced intolerable psychological pressure from calculated leaking against him from within the rugby union, led by a weak CEO (Mark Robertson) being influenced by commercial people trying to milk the All Blacks brand. In a sense this is as much a story about unrestrained capitalism monetising the most sacred cultural and community values than it is about sport.
Oddly enough, for all the talk of the decline of the All Blacks, their record under Foster was not that bad. They won 67% of their tests during his reign and came within two points of winning the World Cup final against South Africa in 2023 (stopped only by a couple of appalling refereeing decisions that robbed them of a legitimate try and left them with 14 men for most of the match). The problem was this record (one most other nations would envy) followed an era in which they had won 85% of their games - so Foster had an almost impossible act to follow.
As a rugby tragic, I have to admit I was among the many calling for Foster’s blood back in 2022 when the All Blacks lost a home series to Ireland. But I came away from reading this book with a new appreciation of the man, his dignity under extraordinary pressure and the respect he held among those that mattered most - the players themselves. If Foster’s intention in writing this book was to effectively tell his side of the story he succeeded in spades.
Foster came to the All Blacks’ head coaching job after serving as an assistant coach under Graham Henry and then Steve Hansen. That 10-year era, from about 2005 to 2015 was an unprecedented run of success for New Zealand’s ‘men in black’. The team collected back-to-back world cups in 2011 and 2015, and boasted some of the greatest rugby players of all time - in Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Kieran Read, Kevin Mealamu, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and many, many others.
But when Foster took over in 2019, the ABs’ golden era had ended. They were still highly successful, but not to the level of previous years. Many of the aforementioned greats retired after the 2015 World Cup. They had a disappointing drawn home series against the British and Irish Lions in 2017 and they were defeated by England in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, the last game for Steve Hansen as coach. Worse, they had their first ever losses to Argentina and Ireland.
Foster had also come to the job at a time of great commercial change in the sport. Players were increasingly at a young age drifting overseas for more lucrative professional contracts in Japan, France, the UK and Ireland. Crowds were thinning out at matches. Seeking a badly needed cash infusion, NZ Rugby brought in a US private equity firm as an investor in the All Blacks. Foster himself had never had the whole-hearted support of the rugby board, some of whom wanted the younger Scott Robertson, coach of the highly successful Super Rugby provincial team, The Crusaders, to take the reins of the ABs. On top of all that, just as Foster came into the job, COVID hit, devastating the test calendar.
All this is laid out in this heartfelt bio, co-written with respected NZ Herald rugby journalist Gregor Paul. Funnily enough, Paul (a Scotsman) had been one of Foster’s harshest critics but came around to his view after talking to the man himself and seeing what unrelenting pressure he had been under during his tenure. Tellingly, Foster was always well-respected by his players and some of the leaders add their thoughts to the various controversies of the 2019-2023 Foster era within the book. If there was an actual coaching issue, it was with his assistants, John Plumtree and Brad Moar, who were let go half way through his term.
But political subterfuge by New Zealand Rugby’s administrators was the biggest problem. What emerges right from the start of the book is that Foster faced intolerable psychological pressure from calculated leaking against him from within the rugby union, led by a weak CEO (Mark Robertson) being influenced by commercial people trying to milk the All Blacks brand. In a sense this is as much a story about unrestrained capitalism monetising the most sacred cultural and community values than it is about sport.
Oddly enough, for all the talk of the decline of the All Blacks, their record under Foster was not that bad. They won 67% of their tests during his reign and came within two points of winning the World Cup final against South Africa in 2023 (stopped only by a couple of appalling refereeing decisions that robbed them of a legitimate try and left them with 14 men for most of the match). The problem was this record (one most other nations would envy) followed an era in which they had won 85% of their games - so Foster had an almost impossible act to follow.
As a rugby tragic, I have to admit I was among the many calling for Foster’s blood back in 2022 when the All Blacks lost a home series to Ireland. But I came away from reading this book with a new appreciation of the man, his dignity under extraordinary pressure and the respect he held among those that mattered most - the players themselves. If Foster’s intention in writing this book was to effectively tell his side of the story he succeeded in spades.
August 7, 2025
Could there be something more important in sport than winning? If so, this book has the answer. Well done Foz - this is real leadership.
July 12, 2025
Having listened to Foster’s long-form interview on the ‘Between Two Beers’ podcast I was unsure how much more I’d get out of the book.. but there was plenty. A really eye-opening insight into the high-pressure role of being AB’s head coach.. and in Foster’s case, a heavily media scrutinised era. Really enjoyed hearing open, honest accounts from players in reference to the 2023 World Cup build up.. they clearly have so much respect for Foster.
September 4, 2025
Insightful look into the dis function of the All Blacks board and NZR
Clearly a very tough time to be coaching with Covid and new CEO
Book was good enough didn't really leave me wanting more
But did help me understand Ian foster more and respect him
Clearly a very tough time to be coaching with Covid and new CEO
Book was good enough didn't really leave me wanting more
But did help me understand Ian foster more and respect him
June 29, 2025
Great book #17
July 14, 2025
Love a 2 day book.
What a guy and what a team.
The NZRU has a lot to answer for, any other employer would have gone for a skate treating their employees like this.
What a guy and what a team.
The NZRU has a lot to answer for, any other employer would have gone for a skate treating their employees like this.
December 7, 2025
Interesting read into the all blacks environment
December 26, 2025
Must read for all rugby fans @ leaders in any capacity. Learnt a lot about leading thru adversity & how people matter most
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews