Rare setback could prove timely

LOSING hurts, but it also sharpens the focus and history suggests the All Blacks will benefit from their painful night in Sydney.

Although there is a constant quest for improvement, it’s not often the All Blacks, and their coaches, have to actually look hard and long in the mirror at what they are doing.

It’s been four long years since they dropped a test to the Wallabies, a 25-20 loss in Brisbane coming a week after being beaten by South Africa in Port Elizabeth. The response in 2011? The All Blacks looked within, questioned what they were doing and how they wanted to play, and swept all before them on the way to winning the Rugby World Cup.

‘‘I know it’s something Steve has driven home over the past three or four years, that we shouldn’t have to lose to get those lessons,’’ centre Conrad Smith after the 27-19 loss in Sydney. ‘‘But there is no doubt it often works that way and there is nothing like a loss to make you realise how much you need to do, and how much you want to do it.’’

There are numerous examples of how ruthlessly the All Blacks respond to defeat and heading into the Sydney test, they had won eight straight tests since their last loss to South Africa in Johannesburg last year.

The last performance as messy as their latest effort was probably at Twickenham when they stumbled to a lack lustre 38-21 loss to England. After spending the summer simmering, the All Blacks embarked on a 22 test winning streak.

It was only a year ago that the All Blacks flew out of Sydney with a bee in their bonnet following a flat 12-all draw with the Wallabies.

A week later they splattered them all over Eden Park during a 51-20 win and Hansen will be hoping for a similar response in seven days time.

Asked on Saturday night how his third loss in 46 tests as All Black head coach felt, Hansen succinctly said: ‘‘It sucks’’. But he was also quick to suggest it would provide valuable lessons.

‘‘We have to ask ourselves what’s really critical to our game?’’ he said after watching three replays of the match overnight. ‘‘What’s really, really critical? Let’s nail that and if we do that we give ourselves a chance.’’

The worry for Hansen is that the All Blacks had similar thoughts after their close win over South Africa in Johannesburg a fortnight ago and were unable to make any real improvements against the Wallabies.

Which is where the motivational power of defeat could be a blessing. Making technical changes is one thing, but being out-muscled, out-passioned and overrun in the final quarter of a close match comes down to desperation. While the All Blacks didn’t have enough of that in Sydney, they are sure to find plenty at Eden Park where they have not lost to the Wallabies since 1986.

‘There is nothing like a loss to make you realise how much you need to do.’

Conrad Smith