Reflecting on the narrow loss, all we can hope is that this is the one bad All Blacks performance we shall see until after next year’s World Cup.

Article By: Bevan, Sanson

So what does one say after the All Blacks' first loss of the year?

“Bugger” springs to mind.

But reflecting on the narrow loss – caused by a lazy start, a lack of intensity at crucial times and substitutes who simply failed to close out the game, all we can hope is that this is the one bad All Blacks performance we shall see until after next year’s World Cup.

Whilst some might tolerate another loss or two before the World Cup I won’t and neither will Brian Lochore.

In 2003, before the footy season had kicked off, I had the privilege of sitting round the dinner table of the All Blacks great and still the only man to coach the All Blacks to World Cup glory.

I was interviewing him on his hopes for the coming season and what the John Mitchell coached ABs will need to do to win the World Cup.

I asked him if it’s ok to lose the odd game in the lead up to the World Cup in order to test combinations and the like.

The look of the great man, who of course is now Sir Brian, was that of a man who was asked if it was ok to rent out his wife to a band of wayward gypsies.

“No. You win them all. Losses for the All Blacks are never good.”

It was music to my ears and ever since the All Blacks have lost and people say it’s ok because it’s all about developing toward the World Cup and other such PC phrases I’ve remembered what Lochore said to me on that pleasant Wairarapa evening back in February 2003.

So unless you are more of a rugby aficionado than the great Sir Brian I would suggest you don’t accept the Black Jersey getting beaten either.

I doubt the likes of Richie McCaw does.

The loss does serve as a nice wake-up call. Let’s be realistic, we would have lost the previous Bledisloe Cup test had the Ockers had a decent goal-kicker and Saturday’s game was no different. The Wallabies struggled to pierce the uprights and that kept us in the game.

So whilst we don’t like the All Blacks losing, sadly from time to time it is something we have to live with.

But should we accept it, or be ok with it?

Never.