It says everything about the All Blacks' drive that they immediately brushed off regaining the No 1 world ranking mantle, and are instead much more satisfied with their compelling depth that's bursting at the seams.
Rugby: All Blacks coach Ian Foster expects critics to pick holes in win over Argentina
![Liam Napier](https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/nzme/9455fff3-0929-406e-be43-3d47f35bb6c6.png)
Liam Napier
![Tupou Vaa'i runs in to score against Argentina in Brisbane. Photosport](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/56AVHAZLETNLP34RKTZN2MQR2M.jpg?auth=9f01d59868824c459b11cb02e4ce4532d1d0b1c041f0d0316ec33108a114b9fc&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)
"There's enough there tonight that people are going to pick a few holes in things and rightly so," Foster said.
"We've got to be a lot more ruthless when we do create stuff because we left a few points out there that tightened the game up unnecessarily but, overall, it was good for our newer players to feel that tension.
"That fourth quarter will be gold for us because they'll realise you never have anyone beaten at test level and if you don't finish them off when you've got a chance, you're in for a bun fight."
With successive tests against the world champion Springboks to come in the next two weeks, Foster ushered in 11 starting changes from the team that defeated the Pumas 39-0 on the Gold Coast to hand many fringe prospects chances to impress.
Loose forwards Ethan Blackadder and Hoskins Sotutu; 21-year-old lock Tupou Vaa'i and combative hooker Samasoni Taukeiaho - that emerging quartet combining for 25 test caps – all seized their moments.
Aside from banking a third bonus point win to sit 10 points clear in the Rugby Championship standings, Foster's calculated gamble to rotate his entire starting forward pack and make three further changes in the backline paid off.
![Samisoni Taukei'aho dives over for a try against Argentina in Brisbane. Photosport](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/56XAZSCYVPMPYPLLNX4HZKBGA4.jpg?auth=4d88f1f27cae5dfe87ad1bd850a34f2ffe8c9a7521b5436ddf4d36b37b90887c&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
"It gives us a lot of confidence. In a lot of ways we exposed ourselves to a potential pitfall by making the number of changes we did but I keep reminding everyone in 2021 we've got two blocks of five tests in a row and that's something we've never had before," Foster said.
"Taking a few gambles in some senses of utilising the squad is going to reap rewards later on but right now there's a lot of guys playing themselves into form and creating some good conversations.
"It's not surprising because the quality of how we've been training is really good. Every team is going to dig deep into their well over the next fortnight and the strategy for how we went into this game puts us in a pretty good place for the next two weeks."
Despite the Springboks suffering their second straight loss to the Wallabies on Saturday night – this time going down 30-17 at Suncorp Stadium – Foster is predicting a swift response in the 100th test between the All Blacks and South Africa in Townsville this week.
"It will be a torrid game, they always are. I saw about 50 minutes of that game to know what's coming. The Wallabies did a really good job against them two weeks in a row. They played well. It's probably the first time the South Africans have faced a team that plays with a lot of tempo in the past two years.
"We've got to remember they've been in the wilderness last year so they'll learn a lot from that.
"All Blacks South Africa games are always special."