Ian Foster wasn't altogether wrong: Rugby still needs the piano players to prosper

From the right way to play to how to continue the minnows’ progress, there have been many talking points in France so far

New Zealand's head coach Ian Foster

1) France 2023 will shape the game’s future.

At Lyon’s Part-Dieu station late on Sunday night, a lone youth in a hoodie sat down at a piano tucked away to the side of the main concourse and began to play. He was extraordinarily good, to the point where people started looking around for hidden television cameras. As the strains of his mini‑concerto drifted skywards, it reminded me of Ian Foster’s thought‑provoking remark after New Zealand’s coruscating 96‑17 win against Italy.