All Blacks coach Ian Foster claims his captain was wrong to scold fans for their "brutal" reaction to defeat.
The under-fire skipper made his strong assertions on SkySports' The Breakdown last week, acknowledging the incredible support the All Blacks receive from their fanbase, aside from a select few that he labelled "brutal".
"I think we’ve got amazing fans, but we’ve also got some pretty brutal ones," he said. With that, you’ve just got to remind yourself that, 'hey, they might like to think they know a lot about the game of rugby, but in reality they don’t'.
"They may know the game from what they see in the 80 minutes, but they don't see the stuff that goes on behind the scenes."
But Foster has told Newstalk ZB that those comments were wrong and came when Cane was still hurting from a historic loss to Argentina.
"We're hardest on ourselves and we go through that process, so when you keep hearing that, it challenges you mentally," Foster says. "He'll learn a bit from that, but he is developing into an outstanding captain."
But the coach wants his skipper to continue conveying how he feels.
"Do I agree with what he said, not really," says Foster. "When it comes to him expressing himself, I would like to think the New Zealand public know their captain is going to say what he thinks and that's what he does.
"At the end of the day, we know we can't say that and fundamentally he doesn't believe it."
Since assuming captaincy, Cane has arguably produced his most consistent form in the black jersey and has his coach’s full backing, even after this blip.
"I support him 100 percent and I think he's doing a great job as captain," says Foster. "His form on the park has been outstanding and he's got things he's still working on."
Foster understands the pressure that comes with being All Blacks coach, but feels that is why his side have the highest standards in world rugby.
"When the All Blacks lose, we know we are going to cop it. I have no complaints about that and I think that's right.
"I love that our fans are passionate and they believe in this team, so when we don't perform to the level they want, they give it to us."
Foster will hope for a more complete and disciplined performance in the return match against the Pumas next week.
Join us on November 28 for live updates of the All Blacks v Argentina Tri Nations clash.
