The All Blacks defeated France 34-32 in their opening test of the year in Christchurch, with a late French try cutting the margin to two points before the final whistle.
Assistant coach Mike Blair acknowledged the team lacked clinical finishing despite the victory in Dave Rennie's first match as head coach. "We created a lot of opportunities, some of them we didn't take," Blair said. "Ruthlessness of taking opportunities, it's just time in the saddle to get that cohesion."
The 66-point encounter at Te Kaha featured an attacking approach that gave players freedom to express themselves. "We talked about playing with momentum, having multi options, everyone being alive and giving the players a bit of freedom," Blair said. "Not being really structured, letting them express themselves, they have huge natural ability."
The squad emerged without major injuries, though Blair suggested some players could be rested for the Italian test, especially Hurricanes representatives who have faced heavy recent workloads. The team will train in Auckland this week before heading south for their second test in Wellington.