The All Blacks are hoping to once again ease mounting pressure when they play Argentina in Hamilton this weekend.
Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz
Last weekend’s history-making loss to the Pumas in Christchurch gave the New Zealand side six losses from their last eight matches and sent them back to a record low of fifth in the world rankings.
It also meant Rugby Championship points were far from the only thing on the line when the two sides met again on Saturday night.
All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith indicated the team knew exactly what position they were in, and insisted they were embracing all of it.
“I’m totally confident in our boys. Everyone’s got the knives out throwing them at us, so we don’t mind that.
“The pressure we’re putting on ourselves as leaders and as a group, we’re walking towards that.”
Pressure not impacted, the 108-test No 9 said, by any external factors.
Including any talk of the match as a potential do-or-die encounter.
“Mate, we’re All Blacks – it’s always do or die. That’s how we see the game.
“Whenever you get given the black jersey you have a huge role to play … the pressure is always on us, we know that, and rightly so.
“We’ve got a rich and proud history as a nation and as a rugby nation. It’s front of mind for us.”
Most notably the All Blacks starting 15, after the selectors stuck with the same starting side from the 25-18 defeat in Christchurch.
It was a show of loyalty that had taken many fans and pundits by surprise.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
A fact head coach Ian Foster said he was well aware of.
“For those that want blood I guess we haven’t given it, have we?
“The message is that we’ve been pretty ruthless and hard on ourselves behind the scenes. We are hurting with where the team is at but if we dwell too much on that and play under fear you restrict your options and don’t get your game going.
“We think the best way to build the confidence in those key pressure moments is to put the guys out there that have felt it and now we’ve talked about some different solutions so we’re backing that.
“There’s always pressure on individuals when they run out in a black jersey and we’re expecting a response in that particular area.”
That was because they had not only suffered their first lost to the Pumas on New Zealand soil, but were outplayed in the crucial final quarter.
In contrast, that was another confidence boost for Argentina off the back of their demolition of the Wallabies three weeks ago.
But the Pumas coach, Australian Michael Cheika, was laughing off suggestions the two impressive wins made them favourites on Saturday night.
“Mate, we’re in New Zealand, like, playing against New Zealand.
“I know you guys like to manoeuvre the story around but, mate, we’re about as underdog as they get because you win once so no one expects you to win again, so that’s what that’s about.”
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
For the visitors, it became about backing up their historic victory.
The last time they achieved such a feat against the All Blacks, beating them for the first time ever in Sydney in 2020, the New Zealand side responded with a thumping 38-0 win two weeks later.
Cheika admitted it would be tough but said Ireland’s back-to-back wins in New Zealand in July showed it could be done.
“It gives us some hope there around how to look at doing it.
“We know it will be difficult but one thing we’ve spoken about a lot and tried to prepare in training is that when it’s difficult we enjoy it.
“When the challenge is really big or the situation in the game is really tough that we try to thrive in the moment.”
That composure under pressure was also an area of focus for the All Blacks.
Foster said, in particular, that centred around the all-important closing stages of a test.
“Great All Black teams have always been good in that last 15 minutes of backing themselves and doing the right thing.
“We got it right in South Africa and got it wrong in Christchurch. “
Not just in Christchurch but on several other occasions this year, too, creating a run of results that had put the All Blacks in a unique situation.
Veteran hooker Dane Coles admitted as much but attempted to assure frustrated fans it wasn’t all doom and gloom from the players perspective.
“I’ve been in a couple teams were we’ve [been losing] and the thing at the moment is that there’s been no blame game or pointing the finger or people going rogue on their own kind of tour.
“It’s been a real collective buy-in. I suppose being on the outside you might not think that is happening but there’s a lot of hard work going in…
“We’ve just got to be clear and free. There’s a lot of stuff that’s happening but we’ve got to go out and do the job – simple as that.”
A request for clear heads as the All Blacks tried to prevent a bad situation from taking a further turn for the worse.
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