No panic or excuses as All Blacks reflect

Jul 4, 2017 - 4:00 PM Just five Test defeats blot Steve Hansen's 71-match, five-year All Blacks coaching copybook.

So losing may be rare for Hansen's troops, but it's not foreign territory.

The All Blacks have adopted a business-as-usual mindset in the wake of last Saturday's second-Test loss to the British and Irish Lions, hoping their normal routine guides them back into the winner's circle.

There was no extra spice or vitriol in Monday afternoon's video review - just the typical rational analysis, according to assistant coach Ian Foster.

"One of our goals is to make sure that, when you're reviewing, you wouldn't want people to know if we'd won or lost," Foster said.

"We're just trying to review the performance. So I think it was reasonably consistent with what we've done in the past - and we've lost before."

There are plenty of fair reasons for the All Blacks to write off their performance in Wellington as a one-off - from the teeming rain to playing with 14 men for almost an hour after Sonny Bill Williams' dismissal.

Yet the message from camp All Blacks has consistently been one of missed opportunities, attacking profligacy and a failure to adapt.

Foster stuck to that line, saying there were no excuses for any Test loss.

"Hopefully that's the message you got loud and clear from us," Foster said.

"We take a lot of pride in that we prepare for everything, and while I guess we've talked about that (red card) scenario, it certainly impacted on us.

"It changed the way we operated - we didn't operate with the same freedom we'd normally like to. In saying that, we're also immensely proud of the effort.

"Probably our vision was a bit narrow."

Notorious for their ability to bounce back with force, the All Blacks are likely to head into Saturday's third-Test decider with steam coming from their nostrils.

Even for senior players, such as flanker Jerome Kaino, keeping a lid on enthusiasm at training this week has been something of a challenge.

Foster said straddling the fine line between match-day physicality and maintaining composure and discipline was crucial.

One slip, and the All Blacks could be playing with 14 men again.

"That's the beauty of these sorts of games," Foster said.

"You know there's a lot at stake and everyone's trying to impose themselves physically. It's whether you're smart enough to control that, and really be effective with it - and that's something we work hard on."

Source: AAP