The All Blacks make 11 starting changes while the Auckland Tuatara prepare for their first home game and we catch up with the man paving the way for young kiwi golfers.
Much of Kieran Read's existence these last few years has been devoted to the art of knowing the difference between hearing and listening.
He's found that success in that particular quest comes more readily if he simply switches off a number of noises he feels are never likely to help.
So he has been largely oblivious to the fact that back home in New Zealand this past week his and the All Blacks' performance has brewed the proverbial storm in many a teacup.
"No I am not to be honest," he says when asked whether he's aware there has been some harsh commentaries about him that were labelled by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen as "ridiculous".
"I literally do not read the media. And that is how I best operate. There is no point getting into all that.
"That is just natural for the New Zealand public [to react after a loss] and a New Zealand media outlet that in some ways is just wanting to make a headline and get a click, create some clickbait. We understand that, and it can be frustrating, but I kind of stay away from that."
If Read were to dip his toe in the media waters, he would most likely be a touch bemused by what he encountered or perhaps he would just have his confirmation that there is an unprecedented level of savagery and hysteria justified in the name of audience generation.
He'd certainly not be able to relate to or agree with the scathing public and media assessment of his individual performance against Ireland.
"I felt it was fairly good," he says with no hesitation or sense of denial or doubt. "It was fairly strong and I think I have operated the best I have all year on this tour. It was one of those games where it was hard to get going because it ended up being a bit if a stop-start affair.
"But I am feeling like I am putting some form out on the field now so that is nice."
This disconnect between the All Blacks' assessment of how they are tracking and the public and wider media perspective is not uncommon.
It happened at the last World Cup when the All Blacks held plenty back during the pool rounds and left those in New Zealand fearing that disaster loomed.
All Black fans have had an unusually disappointing year. Photo / Getty
But while it is not uncommon, it feels a little at the moment like the All Blacks are on Mars in terms of how they believe they are tracking and plenty of their support base is on Venus.
The All Blacks coaches were moderately encouraged by Read's performance in Dublin, too. They saw him, like everyone else, make a couple of glaring execution errors but they also saw him looking to get involved and take responsibility for carrying the ball late in the game.
They saw him defend with a brutality that was telling and they know it was his voice that kept the team calm and focused on staying in the fight in what was one of the more intense atmospheres.
And that's the curious nature of how things sit – the All Blacks' coaching group and captain were disappointed by the loss but hardly distraught or broken by it, while there are calls back home for heads to roll and sudden claims this loss is only the tip of the iceberg.
It is adding to Read's sense of concern that while he has the strength of personality and experience to only listen to those he trusts and whose opinions he values, some of his younger teammates could have their confidence shaken or perspective shifted by negative influences, as many are wedded to their phones and are voracious social media users.
"Everyone is their own person and uses it [social media] in different ways and I am not judging on that," says Read.
"But what you can't be doing is allowing that to affect your mood. So that is the biggest thing. So for me, it is a great tool to use to connect with the fans, but I pay zero attention to what is being plugged my way.
"But I think for a young kid it is hard because they maybe take more heed of that than an older player. The guys are different now. They are coming through at a different age. It is 12 years since I came through and these guys are growing up in a completely different age to the one that I grew up in.
"The pressures of social media is real, that is another part of this whole puzzle you have got to grasp with these guys. It can be tough but it is also pretty rewarding because you can see what it means to them all and in terms of the black jersey, it hasn't lost any of its aura and mana. Everyone is playing for the right reasons."
Watershed defeat
There is another reason why Read doesn't and never has felt the need to take the mood of the nation in the wake of All Blacks' defeats.
"It is natural," he says of the often visceral reaction. "You lose in this black jersey and you know it is coming.
"And to be honest, what you are feeling is so much worse than what anyone could be writing about you. When you lose in the All Blacks jersey, no matter who it is against, it hurts and it stays with you."
Kieran Read feels he has improved on the northern tour. Photo / Getty
Whether there are degrees of hurt as such, there is no question that the loss to South Africa in Wellington this year became a watershed defeat in the sense the team had an unusually long and significant review in its wake.
With hindsight, Read says the leadership group probably overdid the thinking, when the takeaways were in fact relatively few and obvious.
"We lost the game and I think we may have in hindsight overanalysed that game, reviewed it too hard. We weren't as mentally as strong as we needed to be and that was the biggest lesson we took out of it.
"Coach talked a lot about game management after it and they are things you can always work on and get better at get right as a group."
And what about the decision to not drop a goal?
If Read had his time again would he have imposed his will more intently as that scrum packed down under the Boks' posts with a minute left?
Would he have insisted, in the sort of tone that makes it clear it's an order rather than a suggestion, that Beauden Barrett try to drop a goal?
"Yeah I would have," says Read. "But it is a funny one because you pack down the scrum and the call was made to drop the goal. But it didn't happen but I also back him to make that decision because if D-Mac [Damian McKenzie] doesn't get the ball knocked out of his hands and scored the try we win the game.
"I think, though, if you look back and say if we are in this position again we drop the goal – especially in a game that really matters."
Beauden Barrett defied an order to attempt a drop goal late in the Wellington test. Photo / Getty
And what about the Irish defeat? What has he learned from that and to a lesser extent the test against England the week before?
"You play against the opposition and what they present against you and being in control of the game is critical," he says.
"If we look at last week the Irish were able to do that, control the tempo of the game, and they were able to go down with an injury break at almost every stoppage and then it slows the tempo down and affects your momentum and doesn't let you get into the game.
"They dictated that. It is all a scoreboard thing. You can do that when you are in front. It is important in the context of big games to get the scoreboard in your favour as soon as you can.
"Teams don't do that to you if you are in front because they want to chase the game. That's what teams are seeing and maybe they have a ploy to halt our momentum."
'On track for World Cup'
Read is good enough to smile and accept the matter of fact statement that the All Blacks could give themselves a much easier ride at the World Cup if they start tests better than they have in recent weeks.
It's not part of the All Blacks' plan to be on the back foot in any test but what Read has enjoyed the most this season is that when his team have been behind, they have found a way to fight back.
They were a long way back in Wellington against the Boks at one stage and at least gave themselves the chance to win.
They were all but dead in Pretoria at 31-18 down with 10 minutes left and they won, and at Twickenham they were 15-0 down after half an hour before they scrapped and fought to a 16-15 victory.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Read ahead of the return test against South Africa in Pretoria. Photo / Getty
"I feel you can only come back in those situations if you have guys who believe and who can show you the way. We have done that and we have guys in the team who can do that.
"You can't panic. You just have to adjust and make the right decisions from that moment. It is pretty awesome to see when your team does it."
Having shown that mental grit and having played some memorably good football at times this year as well as some average stuff, Read is moderately comfortable the team are tracking towards Japan as he would like.
"I think we are in good shape," he says.
"We have got a squad that is very strong. We have one of the best forward packs in the world. And look at our backs – I would say they are the most talented in the world.
"The exciting thing is that we can make some tweaks and get our game in even better shape than it is. It doesn't take much to flick a switch and get a five per cent lift."
