"For a few weeks following it I didn't want to talk about it with anyone and that's all anyone wanted to talk about," All Blacks flanker Sam Cane reflects. "Now there has been so much footy that we've moved on. If you cast your mind back it is disappointing. It would've been really nice to have put that one away but it wasn't to be."
Since then magical moments, albeit largely brief, have followed. The first halves in Sydney and Paris, and the demolition job on the Springboks in Albany were excellent. On paper the All Blacks won 11 tests, lost two, drew one. It's satisfactory, but doesn't quite tell the full story.
This has been a year of inconsistency; of brilliant one minute, frustrating the next. Given the loss of personnel – not just the number (11) but the fact all are of genuine quality – fluctuations are understandable. Wayne Smith's departure just prior to the northern tour is another factor.
Try as you might, Brodie Retallick and Ben Smith are irreplaceable. At the start of this season no-one predicted the starting team in Cardiff, with Luke Whitelock at No 8 and older brother Sam captain for the first time.
This year was short term pain for long term gain. And that comes in depth.
Look to the immense growth of Codie Taylor; the new front-row or Anton Lienert-Brown's composed disaply from centre after replacing Ryan Crotty early aganist Wales of how second-choice players have been forced to stand up.
Look at Cane's McCaw-like performance in the final outing as evidence of newish leaders taking charge.
"A lot has been made of guys having to come in and step up and if we're building for two years' time then we're in pretty good stead," Cane said. "Guys have been thrown in the deep end a little bit and you can't say anyone has sunk so we're in a good place.
"Some of us leaders have had to take on a lot more responsibility and more forward role than we've ever been used to in this team so that can only be good for us too. I think we can be fairly satisfied with this year."
Consider what this team will be when the majority return hungry, scrapping for starting roles next year. In France the All Blacks had 43 players. Next year that pool will grow to 50-odd. It's a scary proposition. At blindside alone Liam Squire, Vaea Fifita and Jerome Kaino will duke it out.
Those not involved have watched others wear the jersey. Come 2018, no-one will take anything for granted.
"Competition is massive," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said. "The more competition you've got the harder everyone has to work. You can compare it to last year where other than Chicago we didn't really have any adversity and everyone bumped that off as a wee blip.
"This year we've had to work hard and hear we're not playing well or we're not doing this right and probably with younger players than we had the year before. Whilst we tried to re-establish in 2016 in 2017 we've had to rebuild when we weren't planning on having to do that.
"That's made it difficult at times but it's also given us a big advantage going forward.
"This will be a year you can put down in your notebook that will advance All Black rugby in the future. There's a lot of players who will come out of this – maybe not in the immediate future but certainly in the long-term – that will have big careers for the All Blacks."
Other than maybe halfback, lock and to a lesser extent first five-eighth, the All Blacks are extremely well stocked. Add the finishing touch, and the bar should be extended back to where we so ruthlessly demand it stays.
