The All Blacks might be sitting pretty as the world's second rated team, but coach Scott Robertson finds himself under intense scrutiny from the rugby-mad New Zealand public and its exacting demands.
Robertson's touring side embarked on a what was a bid to seal a fifth successive Grand Slam over the Home Nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in this Autumn Series.
After wins over Ireland (26-13) and Scotland (25-17), the All Blacks came a cropper in Twickenham last week, losing 33-19 to England.
They play Wales in their season-ending match in Cardiff on Saturday.
"Claiming a Grand Slam would have been the perfect way for All Blacks coach Scott Robertson to bury some of the demons of 2025," Aaron Goile wrote in The Post newspaper.
"Instead, his second year at the helm of the national side will now go down in history for the wrong reasons."
For Robertson, in his second season, has overseen what is the All Blacks' worst-ever season when it comes to their combined margin of defeats.
There have been three defeats and the margin is 53.
They are statistics that a team like Saturday's opponents Wales can only look on with envy, a win last weekend over Japan breaking a 10-match home losing streak.
Their combined margin of defeat sits at a whopping 148 from seven defeats this calendar year.
The All Black tally is largely due to the 43-10 defeat in Wellington by world champions South Africa.
After the England loss last week, the other defeat was a 29-23 by Argentina.
The previous worse was in 2022 when Ian Foster's team lost four times (Ireland twice, South Africa, Argentina) for a total of 44.
FAITH IN COACHES
"The All Blacks' previously-vaunted aura has not only been blown up by history-making losses, but with the consistency in which they are now being comfortably beaten, too," Goile said.
New Zealand have been beaten by 14 or more points 18 times, eight of those losses coming in the last six years.
After the England loss, Robertson insisted he retained full faith in his coaching group.
The defeat, which featured 25 unanswered points, "sank the visitors’ hopes of a Grand Slam and exposed further evidence of New Zealand’s vulnerabilities", Patrick McKendry wrote for 1News.
They also conceded 20 unanswered points in the defeat by Argentina in Buenos Aires and 36 to the Springboks in Wellington.
"We've got a group with an incredible work ethic," Robertson, whose contract runs out at the end of 2027, said of his assistants Scott Hansen, Jason Ryan and the outgoing Jason Holland.
"We've been experienced enough to understand what test footy is all about.
"We spend a lot of time to ensure the players get enough into them that is required for test level. We'll look at it again for sure."
Speaking with New Zealand media after the England defeat, Robertson defended his 73 per cent win record (19 wins, seven losses).
"The inability to execute – that's the part that really stings you," he said.
The All Blacks have blooded a raft of inexperienced players, and a trio of veterans will be missing from the starting XV against the Welsh.
Vice-captains Codie Taylor (107 caps) and Ardie Savea (106), and influentiual playmaker Beauden Barrett (144) are all rested.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia is now under two years away, and with a gruelling tour of South Africa to come, Robertson is surely right to blood some youngsters in the cauldron of test rugby.
Robertson's Wales counterpart Steve Tandy insisted that New Zealand retained an "aura" despite the team's wholesale changes for Saturday's clash.
"There's massive respect and understanding what they are going to bring," said Tandy.
"There's always that aura around the All Blacks," with just three players from the starting XV against England named for the Wales match.
"That's the depth they've got. We've lost a lot of senior figures over a few years, but the only way to gain that is by experiencing it and going there."