A week after their haphazard performance against the Wallabies, the All Blacks ticked most boxes in their final Rugby Championship Test of the year in Wellington and the challenge for head coach Scott Robertson now is to distil that improved accuracy for delivery on their challenging Northern tour.
Was the five-tries-to-one 33-13 victory at the Cake Tin last night down to personnel or was it the preparation?
A day later and even the coaches may not know exactly how their side clicked at last for a first Test win in the capital in six years against a Wallabies side who had their moments too.
Personnel wise, it means all eyes will be on the announcement in a week's time of the 36-player squad for the end-of-year trip to play Japan, England, Ireland, France and Italy starting in Yokohama on October 26.
The big questions will centre on whether Robertson includes departing veterans Sam Cane and TJ Perenara in the squad or looks towards the future.
Peter Lakai and Noah Hotham respectively are potential long-term replacements (the latter behind Cortez Ratima and Cam Roigard), but it may be that, with the All Blacks XV playing Munster in Limerick on November 3 and Georgia in France a week later, the head coach can have his cake and eat it too.
Watch Scotty Stevenson and Pat McKendry analyse the All Blacks' win on TVNZ+
"It's one we have gone back and forth with about how much time they need," Robertson said when asked about the potential to blood new players on the tour.
"The All Black environment is on. From dawn to dusk it's full on and there's a rugby game at the end of the week.
"How do you get that mix right for a young guy like Peter to get his body right, to get mentally right, to set him up to take that opportunity? That's the good thing about those two games with the ABs XV — we can mix and match.
"It's important that you've got an eye for now and an eye for the future, always. And you'll find out on October 7."
It may be that Cane and Perenara are included, with loose forward Lakai and halfback Hotham looked at for the Japan and Italy Tests and the pair otherwise released to play for the All Blacks XV.
Robertson, who confirmed halfback Cam Roigard is on track for the Japan Test after recovering from knee surgery, as is midfielder Jordie Barrett, absent last night due to a knee issue picked up in Sydney, will select 29 players for the All Blacks XV.
Several experienced All Blacks will travel with the squad to Japan but take off early in an advance party for London and the Test against England on November 3.
Among them is likely to be Beauden Barrett, a man who took his opportunity in his first Test in the No.10 jersey for two years and will probably stay in that position for those big Tests in London, Dublin and Paris.
Barrett's control will be crucial and, after backing Damian McKenzie at first-five for the first eight Tests of the year, the balance of the attack appeared far better with McKenzie coming off the bench.
It was not a flawless collective performance but it was a far more resilient one and that was characterised by the defensive efforts in the opening and final quarters. Significantly, the Wallabies didn't score a point in the second half despite a penalty count very much in their favour.
The big three in the north will be very different on many levels but Robertson wasn't daunted by the prospect of England lying in wait after their two defeats in New Zealand in July.
"Those first two matches feel like five months ago … one thing is that we play them first," Robertson said. "We're the first in their series and the first in the Irish series as well so we're just mindful that we're nine matches in now. We've been together a bit and connected and understand how things work. We see it as an opportunity as well."
It was a successful week's work, all things considered, for Robertson and the All Blacks who finished with a 3-3 record in the Rugby Championship and a 6-3 Test record so far this year.
Perenara and Cane, both heading to Japan after this season, were given an appropriate farewell, with lock Tupou Vaa'i and flanker Wallace Sititi both delivering again, the latter especially in an astonishingly good performance.
"There's a lot been said about him so I'm mindful I've looking after him too — the old hype reel goes pretty quick … but the good thing about him is he's humble, it won't go anywhere," Robertson said of the 22-year-old Sititi.
"He's got a real calmness — you should see him at training and some of the things he does. He's just got a natural ability to play right at the line … a couple of leaguies were asking about him and I said 'no, we've signed him for 10 years', just because of the profile he's got — the size, the power game and skillset, and he's tough."
Watch Scotty Stevenson and Pat McKendry analyse the All Blacks' win on TVNZ+
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