New Zealand’s Mark Tele’a and Argentina’s Santaigo Carreras contest a high ball, Rugby Championship, New Zealand All Blacks v Argentina. Sky Stadium, Wellington. Saturday 10 August 2024. © Mandatory credit: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz Photo: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
The All Blacks know they need to make a statement in the second test against Argentina after their shock loss in Wellington.
Saturday night's 38-30 defeat left the All Blacks with just one win from their last seven games in the capital and wondering where it all went wrong against Los Pumas.
"It really hurts and it will hurt for a while," fullback Beauden Barrett said.
"In our own half we weren't clinical at all. It was disappointing. We struggled to clear our 22. Our kickoff receipts, we just struggled to apply pressure from those, so that will be a focal point ahead of the next game," Barrett said.
"And obviously discipline, we can't afford to give away that many penalties to any team. It's frustrating and disappointing at the same time.
"We've just got to be better at our own game, it's as simple as that. We'll look at ourselves hard in the mirror and next week [the second test against Argentina in Auckland] is another opportunity."
New Zealand’s Ardie Savea is tackled, Rugby Championship, New Zealand All Blacks v Argentina. Sky Stadium, Wellington. Saturday 10 August 2024. © Mandatory credit: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz Photo: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
Stand-in captain Ardie Savea echoed Barrett's sentiments and said the team were determined to bounce back in the second test.
"We just have to own it and look ourselves in the mirror, the leaders and ask the players to do that too. Look in the mirror, get the lessons we need to, but we've still got to stay tight together and each day try and get better.
"We have to own it and walk towards the challenge," Savea said.
Savea's vice-captain, second five Jordie Barrett, conceded the All Blacks weren't up to scratch.
"Argentina are a good side and we respect them, but we're bitterly disappointed with what we put out tonight.
Jordie Barrett makes a tackle. Photo: Marty Melville/Actionpress
"The nature of the game was stop start and when we had opportunities we probably tried to assert ourselves and pushed a few things and were a little bit sloppy around the middle third of the field for a test match and we could have put them under more pressure with our kicking game.
"We may have been a little bit high around the collision and when we scored points we didn't exit and that compounded some mistakes."
Blindside flanker Ethan Blackadder said there were many areas in which the All Blacks weren't at their best.
"As soon as we built phases and put pressure on them, it would turn around as quick as that. A little bit of execution stuff and we just weren't good enough at the breakdown. We did have our moments, but there were too many moments we didn't take at crucial times."
Blackadder said the pressure was now on the All Blacks to produce a "statement" win next weekend at Eden Park.
"Yeah absolutely, we need to respond for sure. They'll have their tails up and played well enough to win and we have to be better than that.
"We just have to stack moments. We've got to build pressure and keep it on them and not let them back in the game through little things, whether it be errors or whatever.
New Zealand’s Sevu Reece offloads to Ethan Blackadder. Rugby Championship, New Zealand All Blacks v Argentina. Sky Stadium, Wellington. Saturday 10 August 2024. © Mandatory credit: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz Photo: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
Jordie Barrett, a Hurricanes veteran, said the All Blacks' poor recent record in Wellington (they've won just one of their last seven games and are winless in their last five in the capital) was an "inconvenient fact".
"It's disappointing. Being in Wellington we're proud All Blacks and we wanted to put out a performance we were proud of in front of New Zealanders and fans that we care about and we didn't do that, so we'll get better.
"We'll look at the way we prepared and see if individually and as a team we can get better and what will change going forward this week and we'll need a little bit of change."
Savea insisted the defeat wasn't a reality check for a side who he said shouldn't need to experience adversity to find motivation.
"As an All Blacks [team] we shouldn't need a loss to get a performance. Our standard is we should turn up every week. We didn't get it right (in Wellington), it wasn't good enough, but we'll get back on the horse and grow and learn and get better."
