The Blues held on in the final minutes to deny the Crusaders. Video / Sky Sport
OPINION:
When England pulled the All Blacks' peg clean out the ground three years ago in Yokohama it left a dark cloud hanging over the game which has proven difficult to lift.
That World Cup defeat in 2019 didn't just end the dream of winning three consecutive titles, it alsodented the nation's self-confidence about their place in the rugby world.
For a decade, maybe more, New Zealand carried an internal conviction that they had the people, the unity and the will to keep finding ways to be better than their rivals.
There was an inherent belief that the All Blacks would ultimately outsmart and outmuscle all whom they met. That defeats would be sporadic rather than endemic, that trends would be set and not followed.
That loss in Japan killed more than just an ambition to win three consecutive titles. It broke that certainty New Zealand was equipped with the resilience and the resource to bounce back from anything and for the first time since 2007, there was more doubt than hope that the All Blacks would reclaim their place as the world's best.
And that doubt has only grown. An historic first loss to Argentina, a third defeat to Ireland, a physical frailty exposed against the Boks and a memorably difficult night in Paris deepened the sense of pessimism and concern that New Zealand's famed system is misfiring – maybe even a little bit broken.
But perhaps the first signs of a new dawn are emerging. Maybe now there is a foundation on which optimism can be built and a little confidence fostered.
The epic match in Christchurch between the Crusaders and Blues was a reminder that New Zealand is hardly bereft of world-class talent or out of ideas about how to play effective, adventurous rugby.
Ofa Tuungafasi gave the sort of performance that did much to lift the gloom. His ball carrying was so thunderous and work rate so high that should he deliver the same quality in a test match, it would revolutionise the ability of the All Blacks to stress their opponents.
Hoskins Sotutu produced the physical edge his doubters say he doesn't have and with it, he may have signalled that he can become the bruising, athletic presence needed in the back row.
Beauden Barrett played with the inventiveness and vision that only comes when he's at his physical best and mental sharpest.
He would be honest enough to admit that it's been a while since he was in peak flow – playing with no inhibition or sense of convention.
Beauden Barrett of the Blues fends off Will Jordan of the Crusaders during Friday's clash. Photo / Photosport
After a stint at fullback, time in Japan, a nagging calf problem and a nasty head knock, the last three years drifted by without Barrett's magic constantly on show.
He looks like he's close now, though, to being at his unpredictable best: brave enough to try the unlikely and good enough to pull it off.
And Barrett at his best changes the picture. Even the most organised and best-drilled defensive systems can't shut Barrett down when he runs from deep on his arcing line and sees things no one else does.
Those same defences will struggle to cope with Rieko Ioane, who with one tackle in Christchurch, showed the value of having lightning pace in the midfield.
His scrambling, match-saving tackle on Dominic Gardiner was his coming-of-age moment – the act which says he can defend as well as he attacks.
What mattered most about the game in Christchurch is that good players delivered magical moments under pressure and that is essentially what defined the All Blacks' greatness between 2010 and 2019.
Back then they had the ability to produce the unexpected: to confront good teams with good players and raise their individual and collective offering.
What's drained the confidence these last two years is that we haven't seen that same ability for players to rise to the occasion and produce the unforgettable.
The response under pressure has too regularly been flat or devoid of the precision or intensity required.
That wasn't the case in Christchurch. Two good teams forced the best out of each other – for the standard to lift and for heroes to step forward.
Maybe now for the first time in three years, there is reason to be hopeful, if not confident, that New Zealand has the players and coaching smarts to bounce back.
Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Will Jordan, Caleb Clarke and Jordie Barrett have been prominent all year - there are great players in New Zealand capable of great things and those who have been riddled with doubt these last few years can maybe now dump some of their worries.
