Captain Kieran Read says the All Blacks are built for the sort of crushing pressure they face this week when Australia try to put an end to 17 years of Bledisloe Cup suffering.
A defiant Read and his team have spent the week dissecting where it went wrong in last Saturday’s record 21-point drubbing from the Wallabies in Perth.
They’ve done it to a backdrop of global media headlines trumpeting their decline.
Another substantial loss in the decider at Eden Park could result in Read’s men spiralling from first to as low as sixth in the world rankings, reflecting their faltering form just a month out from the World Cup.
Former All Blacks coaches and players have opined about where it’s going wrong and coach Steve Hansen’s move to axe established stars Ben Smith, Rieko Ioane and Owen Franks has been interpreted by some as panic.
All the chatter has been welcomed by veteran skipper Read.
The greater the pressure, he said, the more his world champion team are in their element.
“These moments are built for us as All Blacks. The way you’re going to respond is crucial,” Read said on Friday.
“This group is hurting, it’s how it should be in an All Black jersey and we’ve got that chance tomorrow night to rectify that and we’re excited by that.”
It’s a Test that might have originally been seen as a New Zealand celebration.
Hansen is head coach for the 100th time while Read and several other veterans are playing for the last time at a ground where they’ve never lost a Test.
Those milestones have been ignored, they say.
Read said they can’t fall back on a phenomenal Eden Park record, where New Zealand are on a 42-Test unbeaten streak.
Their last loss to Australia at the suburban venue was in 1986 and they’ve erected some whopping scorelines in Bledisloe Cup deciders since.
Read is calling on his team to channel the enthusiasm of young wingers Sevu Reece and George Bridge, whose introduction is driven by Hansen’s desire for more energy than seen in Perth.
“They’re young guys who in some way don’t carry too much baggage and just want to go out and play footy,” Read said.
“They’ve done the job at Super level and the opportunity is massive for them.
“I know they’re pretty calm and clear, to just keep backing themselves. That’s where we need to be as a team, to back our abilities to play footy.”