All Blacks: Loss will bring us closer – Henry

The All Blacks have spent the week adapting to northern hemisphere style rugby. Photo / Getty Images

Between the crash courses in northern hemisphere-style rugby this week, the All Blacks hope good old fashioned bonding will lift them towards a superior second test performance against France.

The sting of the 27-22 first test loss in Dunedin is lingering for the New Zealand players, something coach Graham Henry believes can only bring them closer.

A week in such an environment should keep the players primed - particularly those still finding their feet at test level - and have them peaking here on Saturday.

"A loss always brings the best out of people. It should, it brings a greater edge," Henry said.

"Time is an important factor. Having some time together so the guys get to know each other and we get to know them as well."

After announcing a team with four starting changes to the first test, Henry has this week repeated a degree of uncertainty about their prospects - mirroring his comments in the leadup at Dunedin.

Because of the injury crisis that has struck the All Blacks, several green players were having to learn to handle the big time in a hurry.

"You go in blind don't you? If we don't learn, we're in big trouble," Henry said.

"It's just getting guys more accustomed to playing at this level of rugby. They're starting to feel more comfortable in the environment, and that was noticeable (at training), it was good to see them moving forward from last week."

Two who won't find Carisbrook so easy to forget are centre Isaia Toeava and flanker Liam Messam, who were axed from the starting side for sub-par displays.

A number of others were possibly saved by the lack of options presently available to the selectors.

Winger Joe Rokocoko and props Tony Woodcock and Neemia Tialata are still battling to attain their standards of recent years while halfback Jimmy Cowan and first five-eighth Stephen Donald were far from slick with much of their work.

"A couple of players last week didn't play as well as we'd hoped," was Henry's summation, singling out Messam as a weak cog in a spluttering loose forward trio.

"We didn't think Messam played as well as he normally could play."

Read's display will hardly give the tourists nightmares although Henry nominated him as the best of the three New Zealand loose forwards.

He shifts from blindside to the Messam's unfamiliar No 8 role to make way for the fully fit Jerome Kaino while Tanerau Latimer stakes his first starting claim on the openside flank with Adam Thomson out injured.

The other changes see Conrad Smith providing a steady head at centre in place of Isaia Toeava and veteran hooker Keven Mealamu adds to his 60min last week off the bench by starting in place of the injured Andrew Hore.

Saturday's loss - the All Blacks' biggest to a European opponent for nine years - has been described as a victory for the northern hemisphere's tight, conservative style of rugby over the south's fast, running game.

The All Blacks coaches themselves kick-started such sentiment with their post-test comments, although Henry moved to clarify that he doesn't necessarily think the European club style is superior to the colourful Sanzar product.

"The game in the northern hemisphere is more stationary, the conditions are not conducive to playing the game we play, so they have to drive a lot more in the lineouts and it becomes a forward-orientated battle," he said.

"A side who had been playing a lot of that rugby (France) came up against a side who had not been playing a lot of that rugby.

"It's a wee bit of a transition and it's going to take some time.

"Guys who have played a lot of test match rugby previously adjust more quickly."

- NZPA