All Blacks reflect after unusual second week of soul-searching

Using the unusual two-week gap between the last of their successive defeats and the final test of the year will determine whether the All Blacks snap their form slump.

Physically, there are no excuses for the All Blacks. While the Pumas continue their recovery from the ugly draw with the Wallabies last weekend, the All Blacks are fresh off their week of soul-searching reflection.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster, captain Sam Cane and the team have been under siege since their first defeat to the Pumas which came one week after losing to the Wallabies in Brisbane.

“This is the first time I’ve been involved with a week where we are away from home, still assembled as a team, but not having a game,” All Blacks centurion Sam Whitelock said.

“That’s had its own challenges but it’s also been good to have extra time so you can have those conversations that during a normal test week are hard to have.

“It’s been good to use the last week differently and it means, hopefully, we’re in a better spot going into this last game. We’re all excited to show the improvements we’ve made over the last eight or nine days.

“It is a very real challenge. It’s been a couple of hard weeks but I’ve got to know the boys better, even some of the guys I’ve known a long time, to really understand what makes them tick. We’ve got to use that to work out if someone is drifting towards thinking about in two weeks’ time and pull them back to where they need to be right now.”

From a personal point of view, Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu took ownership of the need for the All Blacks pack to deliver physical dominance that will help break down the Pumas defensive wall.

“Individually, I’ve got a few things I want to work on with my ball carrying and staying alive and getting off the line in defence and making some good chop tackles,” Tuipulotu said.

“Everyone will have their work-ons to negate how they defend and carry hard. Personally, I need to bring that intensity, match and go over what they bring because we all saw how they brought it the last time we played and that played into their hands.

“All of us are anxious to get on the field and do the job.”