KEY POINTS:
My message to the All Blacks is simple - carry on from where you left off. To overcome the toughest rugby challenge there is - playing in South Africa - the All Blacks have to reproduce the attitude and fire shown against the Wallabies at Eden Park.
Against
the Wallabies, it looked as if every All Black was out there to give everything for the full 80 minutes. That is the attitude you must have in South Africa.
And the onus to do that lies with players. I have always said that we will be in big trouble if the time comes when a guy who wins an All Black jersey needs to be motivated by external personnel.
It looked to me like the players decided they had to be accountable in Auckland and they stepped up, took control and delivered an excellent performance.
What they have to do this week is remember how they felt in Sydney and Dunedin. No All Black should ever find any comfort in defeat and the only way to avoid a repeat is to fire up again - to think of nothing but the 80 minutes at hand and for all 15 players to empty the tank.
And it does need to be all 15. Senior players such as Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn and Mils Muliaina have carried the team this season. But they need help, as the more players who chip in, the easier it becomes for everyone.
Jerome Kaino is one who really needs to deliver this week. His athleticism and skills have never been in doubt but he's been a hot and cold sort of player for too long.
He's not a newcomer to this level. He's been around and the most frustrating thing about Jerome is that he tends to be off at just the time the All Blacks need him to be on. We need Kaino to give a big 80 minutes, as the South African back row is a real area of strength. The All Black performance could go up another level again if Kaino can stand up to the Boks and keep himself involved in the heart of the game.
Having Richie back made a huge difference. Richie's injury put a lot of pressure on Rodney So'oialo and maybe he was asked to do too much. He played a lot better when restored to No 8 and relieved of the captaincy.
While the players are responsible for having the right mental attitude and application, the coaches have to impose the right game plan and I can't see why they would want to do anything too differently to how they played in Auckland.
They can't go out there, throw 50-50 passes and play wild and fast. Bryan Habana is a great poacher and they can't give him an opportunity to grab a soft try. At this level, when the teams are so close in ability, seven points is a lot to give away.
The right way to play is to build the pressure from the front five, win the collisions and then use a smart, tactical kicking game to win territory. A fast, dry track will allow the All Blacks to gradually open things up.
They don't need to force the issue - get the platform set up and then, as the Boks begin to tire, they can begin to chance their arm a bit more.