The lack of form of several All Blacks may be the only concern for Graham Henry's selection panel as the World Cup looms, former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones says.
Jones named captain Richie McCaw and key playmaker Dan Carter as two of those below par with only twotests left before the cup begins in September.
"There are players who might have started the season slowly but don't appear to have improved at all," Jones said. "And, in some cases, they appear to be going backwards.
"If you look at McCaw at the moment, he's a shadow of the player he was. For him to miss some of the easy tackles he's missed, as an openside flanker, most players round the world would be dropped for that. He won't be dropped because he's an outstanding player."
Jones described Carter as "playing poorly" at present. "He even looks like he's lost distance on his kicks, which was one of the most significant attributes of his game."
Although he maintains the All Blacks are still cup favourites, Jones detected a growing tension during a short visit to New Zealand last week.
"That pressure is cranking up. I'm sure the plan they've got in place is pretty right but you get these pressure situations - and there's no more pressure situation than in New Zealand where everyone lives and dies by how the All Blacks go."
The 5-point loss to the Wallabies in Melbourne a fortnight ago was a reminder to those who thought the All Blacks were well clear of the pack.
"You're never that far ahead. As hard as everyone is chasing you, you've got to keep pushing."
Jones described this World Cup as a "must win" for the All Blacks - "and if they do they'll probably win another two or three in a row".
He said the depth of talent was one of New Zealand's greatest rugby strengths.
"Just look at the A results. The Junior All Blacks beat Australia A by 50 points. We haven't seen that in 10 or 12 years and it shows they've got a lot of talent."
