It is tempting to fall back on reassuring cliches when debating the All Blacks' prospects ahead of this weekend's second Bledisloe Cup test.
The All Blacks always start the season slowly; the underdog Wallabies had nothing to lose; New Zealand always bounces back after a poor performance to quietthe doubters.
To seek solace in these pithy statements would be to ignore the evidence of more than two years, however. That evidence suggests this is a team on the decline; a team that has lost the ability to beat the opposition before they take the field.
From the draw against an average Lions team in 2017, to a flaccid World Cup defence and a discombobulated performance in the opening test of this strange season, the All Blacks international pre-eminence is suddenly under threat on multiple fronts, including Australia.
As unfair as it might sound, first-year head coach Ian Foster is under pressure to design and deliver a signature performance in just his second test in charge.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster, flanked by captain Sam Cane and assistant coach John Plumtree after their 16-all draw with Australia. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Eden Park is the ideal venue for it to happen, offering as it does the closest thing in sport to a guaranteed All Black win over the past 26 years.
In this year of wild uncertainty, we expected to take comfort in the fact the Bledisloe Cup would remain where it has for close to 20 years.
It took just under 90 mostly uninspired All Black minutes for that expectation to be disrupted.
