Despite locking away the Bledisloe Cup for another year, the All Blacks are bracing for final-like showdown with their trans-Tasman rivals, with plenty still to play for at Eden Park on Saturday.
New Zealand's last-gasp 39-37 victory over Australia last week ensured the coveted silverware would stay on this side of the ditch for a 21st consecutive year, regardless of the result at Auckland.
But All Blacks assistant Jason Ryan is incredulous over claims that the coming fixture was essentially meaningless, with the Rugby Championship still very much up for grabs.
"One-hundred percent, it's a final," he insisted. "There have been a couple of comments from someone that it might be a dead rubber - I don't know where that would come from.
"It's a New Zealand-Australia test match at Eden Park and there's a lot on the line. We're treating it as a final - that's exactly how we're treating it - and we've prepared accordingly to respect that."
New Zealand and South Africa are currently tied atop the table, with the All Blacks holding a points-differential advantage, courtesy of their 50-point defeat of Argentina this month.
Effectively, a bonus-point win would go some way to clinching the southern hemisphere crown, pending the Springboks' return match against the Pumas at Durban on Sunday morning (NZ time).
"[Points differential] is definitely in the thinking, but it's not front of mind," said Ryan. "We've got to win the game and it's the same with a final - you've got to win the game and that's how we've approached it."
The Eden Park fortress looms as a major challenge for the Wallabies, who have not won there since in 1986. New Zealand lasted tasted defeat there against France in 1994 and won two World Cups on the hallowed turf.
"Just because it's Eden Park isn't a given either," warned Ryan. "It's a final, so we prepare like that.
"That record isn't something that's been talked about, but it's definitely there. It's no secret the boys usually go alright there, but it's no given either."
The All Blacks are still awaiting the result of concussion protocols around midfielder David Havili, who clashed heads with captain Sam Cane and left the field early at Melbourne.
Cane also failed a concussion test, but reportedly bounced back quickly after the game, while loose forwards Ardie Savea (babywatch) and Shannon Frizell (rib injury) have returned to the camp for the return fixture.
Join us at 7pm Saturday for live updates of the second All Blacks v Wallabies Bledisloe Cup test
