Five talking points heading into the All Blacks-Pumas test in Christchurch.
TALL IN THE SADDLE
This week Ian Foster seems like a man who has stared into the sporting abyss, and returned stronger for it. From his body language, to his considered replies to media questioning, he looks incommand.
Until the victory at Ellis Park last weekend, he'd been derided the way Graham Henry was when Henry was reappointed after the massive disappointment of the 2007 World Cup.
How vicious were the attacks on Henry? So brutal that in May 2008, in a first for the game, NZRU officials and the coaches held an off the record media forum at Eden Park to try to clear the air. After three hours of heated discussion Wayne Smith, then an assistant coach to Henry, made a passionate plea, "When will we win your trust again?" He was greeted with stony silence.
It's far too soon to draw parallels now with how Henry then built a team that four years later won the World Cup, but if the All Blacks can now maintain the levels of Ellis Park, approaching 2023 won't be remotely as stressful as, after the Irish series, it seemed likely to be.
HOME NOT SO SWEET HOME
The All Blacks will be hoping to have Argentina on their knees at fulltime in Christchurch. Photo / Photosport
Orangetheory stadium should be at capacity for the first test with the Pumas. Good on the Canterbury faithful who risked a change in the weather and bought almost all the tickets before the weekend.
The reactions in the All Black camp to playing at what is without question the worst major ground for rugby fans in New Zealand ranged from the cautious, to the enthusiastic, to the brutally honest.
Asked whether he thought this might be the last test at the venue, Foster nimbly sidestepped the question.
"I'll leave that to the mayor and the council to sort out."
Sam Whitelock, in the All Blacks the last time they played at the stadium six years ago, when they whipped the Springboks, 41-13, swore that he loves playing at what is his home ground.
Will Jordan applauded the fact that the Canterbury crowd is right next to the sidelines. Then David Havili, with a straight face, brilliantly summed up what he felt was good about the stadium. "The cold, the wet, it's perfect for us."
BUILDING TRUST
For the first time this year the All Black starting XV is unchanged from the previous week. The benefits of continuity can too easily be under-appreciated.
As an example, Whitelock noted that he and his Crusaders and All Blacks locking partner, Scott Barrett, have played together so much that he can sometimes "pick up on his body language, so I know he's going to do something before the call comes in."
It'll be especially interesting to see whether the signs of understanding in Johannesburg between second-five Havili, and centre Rieko Ioane, go up another step.
The Ma'a Nonu-Conrad Smith midfield combination was crucial to winning back to back World Cups, so the more faith Havili and Ioane develop in each other the better.
Was Argentina's big win over Australia as much of a statement as it seemed? Photo / AP
The All Blacks have been at pains to show Argentina respect and have lavished praise on the Pumas' 48-17 thumping of the Wallabies in San Juan last weekend.
The Pumas win was impressive, but it's worth keeping in mind that Australian coach Dave Rennie was without seven of his top players, including inspirational captain Michael Hooper.
In blunt terms, the biggest danger to the All Blacks against the Pumas will be complacency.
Given the early horrors of their season, it'd be remarkable if the All Blacks even remotely feel they can sleepwalk to victory.
NO SENSATIONS WOULD BE GOOD
The test referee Nika Amashukeli, from Georgia, is patently talented. He wouldn't be a tier one referee at 27 if he wasn't. But it is a little spooky that in his short international career controversy has been a constant companion.
He was the ref in Dublin in February, when, quite correctly, he used a ridiculous little known law which meant Italy, after losing both their hookers, played the last 60 minutes with just 13 men in their 57-6 loss to Ireland. While last month in Pretoria he dished out four yellow cards to Wales, at one stage reducing the Welsh to 12 players, as they lost to South Africa 32-29.
The best referee is one nobody talks about after a game. Fingers crossed for Amashukeli that's the case when fulltime sounds on Saturday night.
