All Blacks coach Ian Foster has defended Eddie Jones, as pressure mounts on his Wallabies counterpart after Saturday's 38-7 victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After taking over from Kiwi Dave Rennie - who was sacked at the start of 2023 - Jones' second stint as Wallabies coach has hardly gone to plan.
In three games, the Wallabies are yet to taste victory, and were the only side to finish the Rugby Championship without a win.
Perhaps not helping 63-year-old Jones, has been his pre-match comments in an attempt to put pressure on the All Blacks.
After losing to Argentina two weeks ago, Jones stated "if I was the All Blacks, I'd look out" before doubling down by - jokingly - claiming the New Zealand economy would suffer if his side were to win at the MCG.
But after another defeat, Jones was left with egg on his face, and will be forced to return to the drawing board for next weekend's return fixture in Dunedin.
Jones has been backed heavily by Rugby Australia, signing a five-year contract through to the next Rugby World Cup, to be held across the Tasman in 2027.
However, with wins hard to come by, pressure is only growing on the Wallabies' head coach.
If there's one coach in rugby at present who can sympathise with Jones, though, it's Foster.
The All Blacks coach came within a whisker of losing his job after a poor run last year, but has turned his side around completely to start 2023.
And after Jones outlined his respect for Foster in the build-up to the first Bledisloe Cup test, the All Blacks coach showed the feeling was mutual after arriving back in New Zealand.
"I've got a high regard for Eddie," he said. "He's a quality person, quality coach, and his record speaks for that in many ways.
"But the media love it when he says things, and I guess he gets judged when they don't come out.
"He brings a lot of colour to the game. I had a quick talk to him afterwards. We text each other regularly.
"He's a good man."
Jones has masterminded many New Zealand downfalls in the past.
In 2002, he was the last Wallabies coach to win the Bledisloe Cup, before a 21-year drought followed for Australia after 2003.
In 2003, Jones' Australia eliminated the All Blacks from the World Cup, and did the same in 2019 as head coach of England.
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