All Blacks talisman Ardie Savea has urged his teammates to put their shaky performance against Japan behind them and embrace the "knot in the gut" for their clash against Wales on Sunday (NZ time).
In September, the All Blacks closed out a tumultuous Rugby Championship campaign with a dazzling 40-14 win over the Wallabies at Eden Park, which went a long way to washing out the lows that preceded it, including a first-ever loss to Argentina on home soil.
Saturday's win over Tokyo may have been unconvincing, but according to Savea, a win is a win, and the All Blacks now need to wipe that slate clean and regather themselves to enter the white-hot cauldron of Principality Stadium.
"We went to Japan and got the [win]," Savea said. "This week is a new week, today was a new day.
"For us, it's just about tightening the screws and tightening what we need to do, so we can get a quality performance."
This week's version of the All Blacks will likely bear little resemblance to the one that held off the relentless 'Brave Blossoms' last weekend.
With players unavailable due to injury and personal reasons, coach Ian Foster's starting XV had an undoubted makeshift feel to it at Tokyo, which Savea notes reflected in the lack of fluency on the park.
"There were a few boys in that Japan game getting their first chance to play big minutes, so there's different combinations and stuff like that," he said.
"That's still no excuse. When you put on that All Blacks jersey, it's demanded of you to perform really well.
"I wouldn't say it's been frustrating, but it's up to us players to be accountable to each other and ourselves to be able to put in individual performances and the team that we're proud of."
The trio of Barrett brothers will be back and available for selection, after missing the Japan test to mourn the death of their grandmother, while Savea himself will also be back in the fray, after resting last weekend.
Newly appointed skipper Sam Whitelock is also ready to retake the field, after he was delayed from joining the squad in Japan, due to an inner-ear problem.
With a fractured jaw ruling Sam Cane out of the tour and Brodie Retallick facing a likely suspension for his red-card ruck cleanout, flanker Shannon Frizell may be the only candidate to back up from Japan among the forwards.
The story is similar in the backline, where first-five Richie Mo'unga and wing Caleb Clarke seem the only two who'll reprise their starting role at Cardiff.
Almost a year ago to the day, the Welsh were crushed 54-16 by the All Blacks at their spiritual rugby headquarters and Savea believes they'll lean on the unified voice of 74,000 fervent fans for vengeance.
"Playing here is bloody hard," he added. "It's tough - the atmosphere, the Welsh side, what happened last year.
"We know they'll be bottling all of that up, and wanting to come and smack us.
"For us, it's about building that knot in the gut during the week so that we come in and we're ready."
