The All Blacks revived their Rugby Championship campaign with a big win against Argentina over the weekend, but they now turn their attention to a different piece of silverware.
The Bledisloe Cup is on the line over two matches starting on September 15. Photo: Photosport
The team has a week off before they face Australia in mid-week match to open the Bledisloe Cup rivalry.
The All Blacks moved to the top of the Rugby Championship standings with a 53-3 win over the Pumas, followed by the Wallabies loss to the Springboks in Sydney on Saturday.
For All Blacks coach Ian Foster, sticking to the same starting side for a third game in a row eventually paid off.
But he was well aware what was on the line in the closely fought competition.
"This Championship is important to us and we put ourselves into a bit of a hole last week," Foster said.
"We had to respond and do what we did. To walk away with a bonus point and a big points differential in a tight competition, at least it keeps us in the race.
"We're going to need two good performances to have a chance at this Championship. All we've done is put ourselves back into contention.
Foster also believed captain Sam Cane proved a few doubters wrong in front of a home crowd in Hamilton on Saturday.
All Blacks captain Sam Cane has won praise from the All Blacks coaching staff ater his performance against the Pumas in Hamilton. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
But Cane was just happy to be on the right side of the scoreboard for the second time in the Championship - and to be winning again in New Zealand.
"It didn't matter where it was in the country, I think we were pretty determind to put one on at home and we've got only one more home game the rest of the year and it just felt like a good reward internally for the team that's been working extremely hard behind the scenes," Cane said.
The All Blacks' next two matches against Australia in the Championship double as Bledisloe Cup games.
The All Blacks are closing in on 20 years of Bledisloe Cup dominance. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand has had a stranglehold on the Bledisloe Cup, winning the sizable trophy for a 19th consecutive time last year - with a clean sweep over the Wallabies.
However, the traditional three-match series has been reduced to two games for the next four years.
New All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan believed the opening game in Melbourne would be telling.
"I think this next Test is a big challenge of where the All Blacks are really at and where we're at as a team. We need to build those habits and we've done a lot of work this week and last week in making some shifts in areas but now we've got to back that up with another performance against Australia."
The All Blacks loss to the Pumas was at the start of new assistant coach Jason Ryan's time with the national side. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Ryan has taken some of the blame for errors in scouting the Pumas ahead of the first game in Christchurch and he would not be making the same mistake when he relayed his messages about the Wallabies to the forwards later this week.
"We've got a long way to go yet and we know the Bledisloe Cup is pretty special and we'll build that accordingly when we assemble.
The touring team will be named on Wednesday and will assemble in Auckland on Thursday.
Waiting for them across the Tasman is a Wallabies team that has battled for consistency this season.
James Slipper, right, replaces Michael Hooper, left, as Wallabies captain for the Bledisloe Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Leading the Wallabies, for the first time against the All Blacks, will be prop James Slipper.
Slipper steps in for Michael Hooper who is still on mental health leave.
After the loss against the Springboks, Slipper has implored his side to be better against New Zealand.
"We can be disappointed for a day or two but we've got the All Blacks coming up in two weeks and if you're still kicking cans around at that time then that's not going to help any one," Slipper said.
"I want it to hurt but at the same time I want to be better, we gotta be better."
The first Bledisloe Cup game is on Thursday 15 September in Melbourne with the return leg a week later in Auckland.
