All Blacks praise 'little magician' Sevu Reece for adapting to Test rugby

The form of All Blacks wing Sevu Reece has earned special praise from assistant coach Ian Foster, having made his Rugby World Cup debut in Sautrday's 23-13 win over South Africa.

Having made his Test debut against Argentina earlier this year, following irresistible Super Rugby form for the Crusaders, Reece has established himself as the All Blacks' first choice on the right wing, displacing the likes of regulars Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane.

Reece's journey continued last weekend, making his first ever World Cup appearance, an even more remarkable feat when considering he didn't even have a Super Rugby contract at the start of 2019.

Speaking to media today, assistant coach Foster credited Reece for the way that he's handled himself throughout his rapid rise.

"He's an instinctive rugby player, we all know that," Foster said.

"He's got capabilities to make stuff up in the moment, which he's really good at. [But] that stuff means nothing on the international stage if you haven't got the basic fundamentals of your game and have a clear understanding of what's happening.

"He's a smart rugby player, don't be fooled by the 'little magician' stuff, he puts a lot of work into his game.

Foster also said that despite his early successes as an All Black, Reece is far from the finished product.

"He got lost a few times the other night. There's times when he's still getting used to what we're doing. There's times that we needed him in a different posi [position], he's still growing his understanding.

"He's still growing his understanding, but once they get a clarity about what everyone else does, he's good enough to figure out where to inject himself and get maximum use out of him.

"Him and George [Bridge] played well, their game understanding is growing.

"Hopefully it can only get better and better, and whatever we do in that back three, we need all of them involved.

"It's a role that as this World Cup grows, they'll get more and more involved. There seems to be more and more kicking, more and more involvement of the back three, so they're key roles."