'Almost gave up': All Blacks in crisis before first Bledisloe Cup clash with the Wallabies at Eden Park
Updated . First published at
The bookmakers are still giving the Wallabies little chance of ending their 39 year Eden Park drought despite the All Blacks plunging into crisis mode after their record loss to the Springboks on Saturday.
Australia sit proudly atop the Rugby Championship standings with two rounds to go, despite losing 28-26 to Argentina in Sydney.
The Wallabies banked two valuable bonus points thanks to Filipo Daugunu's second try at Allianz Stadium, which was bizarrely allowed to stand despite a clear forward pass from Andrew Kellaway.
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All four teams have a 2-2 record in what is unfolding as the most fascinating and competitive tournament since the Pumas joined the southern hemisphere party in 2012.
Players have a week off before getting back into their work, with New Zealand sure to channel their anger against Australia at their Auckland stronghold on September 27.
But first, some grisly post-mortems.
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Beauden Barrett of New Zealand reacts after losing. Getty
"I feel physically sick, how do you think I feel?," All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan said on his Rivals podcast with Springboks icon Victor Matfield.
"I want to vomit. South Africa smashed us."
Yep. Incredibly, New Zealand led 10-7 at halftime in Wellington before the Springboks scored 36 unanswered points in the second half.
The 43-10 hammering was the heaviest loss in All Blacks history.
"What concerns me is they almost gave up," Test centurion Mils Muliaina said on Sky Sport.
"It's not really the sight you want to see from the All Blacks.
Scott Barrett of New Zealand looks on in disappointment. Getty
"You have to give it to South Africa, they came out in the second half, they piled on some pressure, they demanded everything in that second half and basically blew the All Blacks away.''
Muliaina and fellow Sky pundit Kieran Read are usually fairly tame in their criticism of the All Blacks but both understood the assignment.
"You have to look at that All Blacks side, OK, something isn't right there," ex-captain Read said on Sky.
Ardie Savea of New Zealand reacts after losing. Getty
"There's something within that group when you are able to just leak and leak - where's that spine we want to see?''
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson is under immense pressure to hang on to the Bledisloe Cup and losing it may cost him his job.
He will at least be boosted by the returns to fitness of first choice halfbacks Cam Roigard and Cortez Ratima, as well as starting hooker Codie Taylor.
Coach Scott Robertson of New Zealand. Getty
"It would be a massive boost. It would be good to get a couple coming back," Robertson said.
"We own it as a group. Our execution wasn't good enough. The start to the second half wasn't what we expect of ourselves...
"No team has won two games in a row in this competition and it just shows how tight it is and how brutal it is, how it can swing from week to week," Robertson added.
"We've got to be able to go repeated efforts. We saw how we executed in pretty much a title fight at Eden Park and then we came back and at halftime we were still right there, and then we didn't deliver. We don't want to change too much. We'll take it on the chin.
"We want to be clear and we want to be focused, what did we learn to take into the Bledisloe? But be honest with each other as a whole group, and that starts with me...
"We couldn't buy anything, couldn't get anything happening, they just went on a tear. Congratulations to them. Of course something like that is going to hurt you."
Coach Scott Robertson of New Zealand. Getty
As of Monday, Australia's Sportsbet had the All Blacks as $1.11 favourites to win at Eden Park and retain the Bledisloe, with the Wallabies at $6.
The All Blacks missed 46 tackles at Sky Stadium as Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt tries to end New Zealand's 51 game unbeaten record at Eden Park.
Australia have not beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2001 but Schmidt was the man that masterminded Ireland's first ever win over his countrymen in 2006 - after 111 years of trying.
New Zealand Herald scribe Gregor Paul took the blowtorch to the All Blacks.
"Made to look like some ill-conceived analogue contraption trying to compete with the latest iPhone", Paul wrote.
"The self-styled innovation leaders of the world game were blown off the park, and chunks were taken out of the legacy. Losing doesn't do wholesale damage to the brand, but record defeats do."
Ian Foster and Joe Schmidt talk at Twickenham. Getty
Schmidt - a former All Blacks assistant - said genuine, bone deep, self belief would be key to pulling off the upset.
"We've got to believe because if you don't believe, you're beaten before you try," Schmidt said.
"But we also know we've got to be better than we were today and better than we were last week, and part of that is the start and part of that is the continuity. We'll get some people back but we can't just rely on that, we've got to rely on our work ethic."
The Wallabies will name a revised Bledisloe squad later this week but veteran James O'Connor is expected to be missing as he starts his new contract with Leicester Tigers.
Schmidt hopes playmakers Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson will be fit and available after Tane Edmed had a torrid first start on Saturday.
"We're trying to balance that short-term focus with a long-term vision around where we can get this team to in two years' time with where we can get them in two weeks' time when we play in Eden Park," Schmidt said.
James O'Connor and Nic White of the Wallabies look on. Getty
"He (O'Connor) was great value again today, wasn't he? We don't have any experience at 10. We've got three very inexperienced 10s, and they are part of that hub of your team," Schmidt said.
"But how do you get experience?
"That's part of the short-term focus/long-term vision, and we try to balance it by having maybe some inexperience, but having some experience to bring off the bench and to help players during the week.
"Just to see the right moment to maybe knock a kick or make a pass or set a particular play up. So that's a discussion point."
Donaldson posted an apparent farewell to O'Connor on Instagram.
"Been a pleasure brother. Appreciate it all."
