Ian Foster is clinging to his job by a thread, but the All Blacks coach has an ally in Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber, who's sympathetic to his plight.
The Springboks are bracing for what they anticipate will be a fired-up All Blacks revival on Saturday, and they're under no illusions New Zealand's latest piece of unwanted history is the perfect motivator.
South Africa is the furthest thing from a team under pressure at Johannesburg's Montecasino.
Their form is red hot, recovery ice cold and importantly, they're spared of the outside noise continuing to swirl around the All Blacks.
Which has Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber offering some solace to his New Zealand counterpart.
"As coaches, we always have sympathy for each other, it's a pressure environment. If you coach in countries where rugby is such a big sport, then there's always gonna be pressure," he said.
With his job very much on the line this weekend, it seems only the most dominant of wins can save Foster.
It wouldn't surprise the Springboks if they pull it off either, who feel the All Blacks have the perfect motivation to bounce back.
"It's the first time in New Zealand's history that they are No.5 in the world ranking, and that's one thing that will also push them to get to a different level come Saturday," Duane Vermeulen said.
That lowly world ranking reflects the lack of cohesion, consistency and confidence in this All Blacks group.
Hardly ideal against the world champions, who appear completely unfazed by what's being thrown at them.
"The evidence doesn't lie, you watch the videos, we're not securing our own ball, we're turning the ball over at the breakdown, we're allowing the opposition to dominate us," former All Black Jeff Wilson said.
That dominance has the All Blacks staring down a sixth loss in their last seven games.
But Wilson feels the pain they're experiencing at the moment will benefit them longer term.
"If you think about what this group is gonna learn collectively and as individuals when they get on a plane and return home from South Africa, regardless of the result, we're gonna be better off in 13 months' time at a Rugby World Cup," he said.
