All Blacks Sam Cane & Ben Smith talk about the All Blacks debriefing meeting after the 2nd test. In preparation for the 3rd Test match between the All Blacks and France, at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin on Saturday. Video by Brett Phibbs
No one likes having their shortcomings exposed, much less in front of others, but the All Blacks – suitably informed in a debrief following the untidy proceedings in Wellington – accept it as part of their job.
Some of those conversations may have been difficult in Dunedin today after the26-13 win in Wellington against an opponent who played with 14 men for the majority of the test.
Chief among them would have been the decision-making but there would have been more prosaic elements too such as the requirement to make tackles, protect the ball in contact, and being more urgent and effective at the breakdown.
The All Blacks were second best in a lot of these areas which would have led to a few uncomfortable home truths being spoken as they prepare for the third test against the French at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Flanker Sam Cane, in his seventh year with the team and with 55 caps, has heard most of it before and for him it's not something to take personally.
"Honestly, one of the best life skills I've learned from rugby is that aspect of being singled out but knowing it's not personal, it's for the betterment of the team. We can tell each other really straight and know that it's not a criticism it's to try to improve.
"Yeah, sure, it's a little more uncomfortable when there are 30 of your teammates around but you'll be doing your best to make sure you're not on the screen next week."
Asked whether the ability to handle the sometimes harsh feedback is easier when you're an experienced player rather than a recent arrival, Cane said: "They [new players] also see that it doesn't matter if you've played 100 tests or one you're treated the same regardless because it's for the betterment of the team performance."
New Zealand perform the haka during the 2017 Under Armour Series Autumn International match between Wales and New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.
Right wing Ben Smith said: "The good thing is when it's really simple it's just making sure we get that stuff put into our week. I think coming out of a review you think 'oh, well, if we fix those things up we'll give ourselves a much better chance come Saturday'."
Smith added: "Probably the main thing that came out of it was that the French had a better attitude and probably were a bit hungrier.
"At the same time obviously we still managed to get the win and are excited by the week ahead."
That excitement will be partly based around the fact that under the roof they have the perfect opportunity to attempt the high-tempo game they want to play but haven't been able to do so far this series.
The French were well beaten at Eden Park thanks to a final quarter blitz which the All Blacks didn't get near to emulating a week later at Westpac Stadium, and most of that was down to the differences in attitudes between the two teams.
"We probably fell into the trap that [we thought] that [first test] was a dominant performance because of the scoreboard when in fact it wasn't – we had to work hard for a long period of that game and we got the rewards at the end… in the second test I wouldn't say we did that as much," Cane said. "We turned up and got beaten to the punch right from the outset."
