The All Blacks may have shaken an enormous monkey off their back at Johannesburg a fortnight ago, but captain Sam Cane insists that performance was only a modest benchmark for what his side are capable of.
The 26-10 win over the hosts was a resounding response to a tidal wave of public criticism, after a series loss to Ireland and their first-test mauling by South Africa.
According to Cane - who answered a few of his own critics at Ellis Park - the impressive performance was simply one win. The challenge now lies in using it as a launchpad for what's to come through the rest of 2022, starting with the surging Pumas at Christchurch on Saturday.
"We'd been saying for a couple of weeks we'd been improving and I think we took a significant step in terms of improvement in that game," Cane said.
"It's a performance we're proud of, for sure, but it's just the start of where we want to get to and how we want to get better.
"It's a privilege to be in this team, and we're here to play test matches and represent our country. That doesn't change… just because we got that one right, doesn't guarantee we're going to get this one right, so there's plenty of work to go in this week as well.
"For us, it feels like just the start of where we want to get to, but it's a good stepping stone."
Beauden Barrett was forced to leave Tuesday's practice early after suffering an undisclosed injury, putting his status for this weekend's test up in the air. Barrett was used off the bench in the second test against the Springboks, with Richie Mo'unga claiming the No. 10 jersey.
If Barrett isn't cleared to play, it may open the door for Blues first-five Stephen Perofeta to make his test debut.
The past month has been a tumultuous period for the All Blacks, who have endured almost unprecedented "noise" over the coaching situation and their results.
For as frustrating as that experience was, Cane says the opportunity to return to South Africa and battle through that off-field drama galvanised the squad.
"I think maybe we took for granted going to South Africa twice a year for so many years, so it was nice to get back and spend some time there and some close time as a group," he added.
"The facilities we were at allowed us to spend a heck of a lot of time together and through that we saw some massive shifts, so our challenge is to continue making those shifts."
Their clash with Argentina at OrangeTheory Stadium should provide another examination of his side's progress. The Pumas are fresh off a head-turning 48-17 pummeling of Australia at San Juan, where they made their own statement under new head coach Michael Cheika.
Cane is well versed in what the Pumas bring to the field, both on and off the ball, and expects another torrid encounter this weekend against the current Rugby Championship leaders.
"I think they're one of the best defensive teams in the world when they get it right," he said.
"They're very hard to attack against. They cause us trouble at the breakdown, and if we don't kick well and have a good chase line, they can spread the ball really well.
"They've got some exciting backs with exceptional footwork, so we've been doing our homework on them for sure. It's going to be a massive test.
"A few years ago, we got dragged into a little bit of off-the-ball stuff and it's important we stay focused."
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