The All Blacks' historic recent struggles are having consequences which reach far beyond the results on the scoreboard, says commentator and former NZ international Justin Marshall.
Saturday's defeat to Argentina was the sixth in the past eight tests for the All Blacks, and as damaging as those performances have been to their 2022 prospects and their build-up to next year's Rugby World Cup, the long-term impact - according to 91-test All Black, turned commentator Marshall - could almost be as damaging.
Before the weekend, the All Blacks had never lost to the Pumas on home soil. and had also never dropped three tests at home in a season.
Records such as those are doing "massive" damage to the decorated and proud legacy of the All Blacks, while undermining the achievements of their predecessors, Marshall has told AM.
"From my perspective personally… if they don't rectify this very, very quickly, the records they are breaking are causing massive harm to what has gone before this side, the All Blacks who have done all that hard work previously."
Marshall admits he's baffled by the team's strategy, specifically the All Blacks' reversion to a kick-heavy approach against Argentina, when conditions at Christchurch were ideal for the attacking style of play that brought them success in the second-test win over South Africa at Johannesburg.
The tactics under Foster appear to be stifling what has always been a trademark of the All Blacks - trusting their natural instincts and playing with ball in hand, he adds.
"[At Johannesburg] they went out and played like All Blacks, and played a style of game that comes natural to them.
"We went back to Christchurch, we were expected to win and we went back to a negative gameplan of kicking the ball away, and the players made errors
"When they couldn't get through that Argentinian defence, they gave up and I felt that was a big part of the problem on the night.
"I can't remember them going any more than a dozen phases in that match and that's unlike the All Blacks.
"They are very, very good at holding on to the ball and they didn't do that, and it's very, very confusing as to why they don't want to use the ball. We're better with the ball in hand."
The former Crusaders halfback was also "bemused" by the decision to bring Stephen Perofeta onto the field for his first test cap with less than a minute to play and the result all but beyond doubt.
"Subbing somebody on with 50 seconds to go in a game where he was going to have no influence and have that as a memory as his test debut is not ideal," he said.
"At the end of the day, he's still an All Black, which is brilliant for him, because he deserves it, but that was very confusing. You'd think there was a better time in the game to introduce Stephen Perofeta into the mix."
Foster's blueprints have left players second-guessing themselves on the field, where Marshall believes a domino effect of doubt has taken place.
"There are some players playing with a lot of weight on their shoulders," he said. "They're not playing with confidence.
"That is harmful for the team, because when an unconfident player is playing in a team needing confidence, it has a snap-on effect."
The All Blacks now face a rematch with the Pumas on Saturday, before taking on the in-form Wallabies, desperate to snap their 18-year Bledisloe Cup drought.
Join us at 7pm Saturday for live updates of the All Blacks v Argentina Rugby Championship clash
