Defeat by South Africa in Wellington reminded the world that the All Blacks can be beaten – no bad thing with 12 months to go until the World Cup – but they are still the overwhelming favourites for a third straight win. They were not brilliant against France over the summer but then thrashed Australia twice, displaying an ability to find a gear their opponents cannot live with. It will be fascinating to see their response to defeat; do they add a dose of pragmatism to their blistering style, or do they double down? If the bigger picture continues to pose problems – New Zealand Rugby is expecting to make consistent losses from 2020 onwards and as Lima Sopoaga recently said, the player drain to Europe is not going to stop – Steve Hansen’s side are still setting a considerable pace.
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