All the hijinks after the comfortable win over Argentina in Napier the previous game falls into perspective.
Any talk of the best backline combinations in the world and other such subjective comparisons take a hiding.
Winning streaks and mind-numbing statistical decorations will rapidly dissipate if the All Blacks don't hold up the Webb Ellis Trophy again at Twickenham.
Like other world cups, England and France will remain unknown quantities who have no qualms about wearing the tag of mediocrity while sleepwalking their way through seasons.
But the rugby savvy know only too well the northern hemisphere nations have the propensity to produce something clinical and startling when push comes to shove.
For Shag (Hansen) and Fozz (ABs assistant coach Ian Foster) it must be comforting to be able to prepare for the eventuality of any unwelcome pimples popping up on the eve of the prom night.
When everything's going smoothly then the protagonists start looking like world-beaters. It's probably the worst time to make crucial deductions on who best fits the mould in a line up.
When the ABs ran riot over the Wallabies at Eden Park, bench boy Ryan Crotty looked good inside Conrad Smith but will he look that composed against the Boks?
It looks like a tough initiation in just his second outing after a fractured cheekbone.
The South African defence was superb and the frustrated ABs didn't look like infiltrating.
It took some lateral thinking from pivot Aaron Cruden to kick to the fringe to find an unmarked Kieran Read who calmly collected before soaking up a tackle from Boks captain Jean de Villiers to unload to skipper Richie McCaw to dart to over the try line. (Did that inspiration come from the Juan Martin Hernandez punt wide to winger Horacio Agulla in the Napier test? Could De Villiers have done better in contesting the high ball on Read or wrapping him ball and all with a higher tackle?)
Let's face it, had that gone awry Cruden would have become the donkey for pinning a tail in a game of fingerpointing from the cheap seats but this is the time to experiment and encourage players to think outside the square.
That sort of tangential brilliance will be the difference in winning the World Cup.
Cruden's kicks came under scrutiny and a bout of jangled nerves had obviously set in -- not that there's anything wrong with that because it's better to fumble and bumble now than a year later.
Is it necessary to rush back Dan Carter simply to engage in home-grown diplomacy?
For the ABs stable, there was further evidence that simply chucking Ben Smith out on the wing because of some hidden agenda in the backline seems a futile exercise.
What a waste of talent in showing the white sideline to a player who is capable of stepping off either foot to take his team over the advantage line at will.
Why is he marooned on the outskirts when he can be devastating with space on either side, if not as a fullback.
It's imperative the Razorback has a defined portfolio to acclimatise well before the World Cup in maximising his prowess.
More importantly, how reassuring is it to know a bloke doesn't have to be a 100kg-plus battering ram or possess a hefty boot to turn defence into attack.
Smith's no Christian Cullen yet but give him time and he may prove some people wrong.
What of Malakai Fekitoa. Is he going to collect dust on the backburner?
Just as the Boks kept Jonah Lomu on a tight leash in his career it'll be interesting to see how Julian Savea will react, especially in the October 5 test at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.
The Boks were certainly not the same side who seemed to be doing just enough to keep the Pumas at bay a few weeks ago.
The experiment with pivot Handre Pollard must have left Meyer fizzing. You somehow get the impression fullback Willie le Roux has a few more tricks up his sleeve.
Just as Savea had deserted his wing to expose Nicolas Sanchez in Napier, Cornal Hendricks had left the ABs defence in disarray.
While Bismarck du Plessis may have been sulking a little when he took the field, you have to cut him and fellow hooker Keven Mealamu some slack for feeling like a basketballer coming on to the court cold off the bench to make an impression in the fight against the clock.
For that matter, why is Dane Coles going to Argentina and then returning with his impending fatherhood?
Logic suggests exposing Mealamu and uncapped Nathan Harris to more minutes for the Johannesburg litmus test is priority so Coles should have simply stayed home.
Closer to home, though, the Australia Rugby Union is still reeling from the poor turnout at the Gold Coast for the Pumas test.
No pressure but once Ewen McKenzie sorts out his equation when the ABs are passing through on the way back from J'burg, the turnstiles will be humming again.
If not then it's certainly time for some Michael Cheika magic.
