The All Blacks say their last-gasp win over Ireland is the ideal lesson less than two years out from their World Cup title defence.
The satisfaction at completing a 14-from-14 season was mixed with a nagging disappointment that their best rugby was never seen during a three-Test tour of Europe this month.
No more so than in Dublin on Sunday when they were bossed by the home side for large periods of the 24-22 win.
Coming in the wake of gruelling wins over France (26-19) and England (30-22), it left captain Richie McCaw with an empty sensation that belied their perfect year.
"It's a funny feeling actually. We wanted to get things right in the last Test of the year and we didn't - Ireland didn't let us do it," he said.
No.8 Kieran Read agreed, saying "the gut didn't want to celebrate too much" while five-eighth Aaron Cruden said the performance of world No.7-ranked Ireland showed again how threatening the top European sides would be at the 2015 World Cup.
Coach Steve Hansen admitted his heart was racing throughout the Test, in which the All Blacks trailed 19-0 early on and 22-17 with less than a minute to play.
However, on reflection, he will regard it as a defining 80 minutes.
Not only were they handed a reminder about the importance of treating every opponent with respect, he said they also found a way to emerge from the sort of deep hole they rarely experienced.
"Our coaching group and young players, who haven't been in this situation before, will realise that it doesn't matter what the scoreboard says.
"It will be massively good for our players to have been through that."
Brodie Retallick, who was a late call-up to start the Test in place of an ill Luke Romano, said it was new concept to be part of a tight five overwhelmed by an Irish pack playing with superior commitment.
"When we were down and didn't have any points yet, I've never been in that position before," he said.
"It was hard to get the mind around it for a start. But we've got some great leaders and I just listened to them and had faith we could get out of it."
Share
