All Blacks coach Ian Foster has gone into bat for captain Sam Cane, after his side slipped to a history-making 25-18 defeat to Argentina at Christchurch.
With the All Blacks 25-18 down in the second half at OrangeTheory Stadium, Foster made the call to replace his skipper, substituting him for Akira Ioane.
Pulling his captain wasn't a new move for Foster, who did the same in the dying stages of the defeat to Ireland at Wellington's Sky Stadium last month.
Cane's position as All Blacks captain has come under the microscope amid his team's struggles, after he was temporarily stripped of the leadership in 2021, as he returned to form and fitness after a pectoral injury.
Backed to lead the team this year, Cane, 30, has valuable support from his coach, who insists the flanker is a key part of his side moving forward, explaining why he was replaced before fulltime.
"Clearly, he's under the spotlight - right under the spotlight - when things don't go well," Foster said. "But behind the scenes, [he's] strong.
"I thought a lot of his tackle and work around the breakdown was a big shift up the last two games.
"We just felt we needed a bit more power in our carry stuff. It was a decision to take a fetcher off and put a ball carrier on."
Cane isn't the only senior All Black struggling in 2022, with hooker Codie Taylor looking a shadow of himself, despite outstanding Super rugby form for the Crusaders.
Taylor, 31, has found himself second in the queue to Samisoni Taukei'aho in the race for the No.2 jersey, with the Chiefs hooker making the most of every opportunity available to him.
But like Cane, Taylor has plenty of credit in the bank, after being one of the All Blacks' most consistent players over the past few years. Foster also insists he is putting in the work to emerge from his slump.
"Codie's working hard, trying hard," he added. "When the set-piece doesn't go well in the last 15 minutes, it's easy to point the finger at the hooker, when you lose a few lineouts.
"We'll dig into that. He's with everyone, he's working his butt off to try and get things right."
Foster has issued a rallying cry for All Blacks supporters unaccustomed to seeing their side outplayed with such frequency.
The All Blacks have lost six of their last eight tests, as well as their last three tests at home - a New Zealand first.
Despite Saturday's loss, the Rugby Championship is still alive, with the All Blacks only four points off top spot, and after selling out at Christchurch, Foster wants more of the same for the second game at Hamilton next weekend.
"We sold out OrangeTheory Stadium," he said. "I thought the crowd were fantastic, their attitude to the team afterwards was fantastic.
"We just need as much support as we can get now. It's hurting and we know everyone else is hurting.
"If people want to get angry, that's their choice, but now's the time to get in behind this team."
Join Newshub for live updates of the All Blacks v Argentina from 7pm Saturday.
