All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith has delivered a brutal assessment of opposition teams, claiming variety will be key to countering the Argentina kicking assault on Saturday.
In the midst of an-and-down season, with defeats to Ireland, South Africa and the Pumas, New Zealand are still trying to find their identity under coach Ian Foster.
Smith believes a variety of attacks is crucial against teams determined to give the ball back and sees the rematch at Hamilton as no different.
"I think variety is key, but the mentality from our boys is to want to be able to hold the ball, build pressure and use our attack," he said.
"As we see with the north hemisphere teams and the teams so far in the Rugby Championship, they want to give us the ball. They don't really want to play and they're really attacking our breakdown.
"If you attack with the ball for long periods of time, you're giving them opportunities and they're taking them.
"Variation, that was something we looked at hard out in the review and we can still use our kicking game, use the ball to pressure teams and obviously turn them around.
"Because teams at the moment are going 2-3 phases and just kicking it, because that's their tactic, and they try to punish us at the breakdown and that's what the Argies did."
Smith reveals honest conversations were had within the playing group - and with halves partner Richie Mo'unga - after the shock loss at Christchurch.
He believes pressuring Argentina, a team he insists didn't play to win, will be pivotal to bouncing back with avengence.
"It is key to be really aligned as a group around our identity and how we want to play," he said.
"It isn't just trying to hold the ball for long periods of time, if we're not going anywhere, and as a No.9 and No.10, we've talked a lot about trying to get to positions we can turn them around, pressure them and ready the situation of where the game is at.
"Argentina weren't trying to win the game, they were just trying not to lose it. They used their defence for that and we played into their hands."
Mo'unga hopes to strike balance against the high-flying Pumas and adopt a more kick-dominant gameplan.
"There's not one way to score points and use variation in what we can do to build pressure, kicking, other tactics that might work," he said.
"Against an Argentinian team that was fired up, ready to defend anything, I think we could've been smarter."
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