Ardie Savea says the All Blacks put pride back in the jersey by rebounding from a record loss to the Springboks with a fighting victory over the Wallabies on Saturday.
The 33-24 win at Eden Park released a pressure valve on the hosts, who were under scrutiny following a crushing 43-10 defeat in Wellington two weeks ago.
Inconsistent results in recent years have chipped away at the All Blacks’ status as historically the world’s pre-eminent team.
Stand-in captain Savea said the nature of the capitulation to the Boks was addressed by the players when they gathered in Auckland this week.
He said they lost “mana”, a term used by native New Zealand Maori meaning pride or honour.
“We wanted to, I guess put in a performance that restored some mana back in the jersey,” Savea said. “It’s a credit to everyone involved in our team. The challenge now is embracing this one but then getting back on the horse and trying to go back to back.”
REPORT: Roigard double seals Bledisloe for All Blacks
New Zealand can win the Rugby Championship if victorious in next week’s final-round Test against Australia in Perth depending on the Springboks’ results against Argentina at Kings Park and Twickenham.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson wants his men to break their Rugby Championship pattern of following a win with a loss.
“I think the ultimate for every sports team is the ability to be consistent,” he said, acknowledging New Zealand’s demanding supporters also want to see standards remain high. “I could tell from the crowd how much the result tonight meant to everyone.”
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images