The soul-searching is under way but the All Blacks' post-mortem into their Tri-Nations rugby failure in Sydney will not prompt widespread changes for the Bledisloe Cup rematch with Australia at Eden Park on Saturday night.
The All Blacks started their preparations with a low intensity work out and public signing session in west Auckland.
Halfback Piri Weepu and Hawke's Bay hooker Hikawera Elliot were summoned as cover for injuries to Andrew Ellis, Jimmy Cowan and Andrew Hore -- with the trio all watching on from the sideline this afternoon.
Auckland halfback Taniela Moa arrives tomorrow as extra cover.
Team management will resist the urge to make wholesale personnel changes to the squad despite glaring inadequacies being evident during the 34-19 defeat.
Assistant coach Steve Hansen reiterated the belief they have the best players available though an inability to modify their game plan and react to Australia's defensive pressure was a clear failing at ANZ Stadium.
"There won't be too many changes. If you go through the side by and large it was the right team," Hansen insisted.
"I don't think because we've lost two tests that all of a sudden we haven't picked the right players.
"The reality is after every World Cup we lose a lot of players overseas .... the Haymans, Jacks, McAlisters, Maugers and so on. It's going to take you a little bit of time to get that experience back."
The realisation Daniel Braid was simply not conditioned enough to survive a fast-paced test has also ensured reinforcements confined to club rugby or pre-Air New Zealand Cup warm-ups since the Super 14 ended in May are unlikely to be brought in unless injury intervenes.
Inevitably there will be alterations in the 22-man squad named tomorrow by Graham Henry, with the under-pressure head coach anxious to restore captain Richie McCaw to the starting line-up if his fragile ankle survives training.
McCaw ran freely today, in much the same manner as a week ago when he was bracketed in the initial team naming before being ruled out.
His return is an imperative given the All Blacks were monstered at the breakdown by the combined talents of George Smith, Wycliffe Palu and Rocky Elsom.
Blindside Elsom has been ruled out with a foot injury but there should be little respite with Wallabies coach Robbie Deans poised to name either Hugh McMenamin or Phil Waugh in his starting line-up tomorrow.
The All Blacks are likely to restore Leon MacDonald at least to the bench after he was deemed "too battered and bruised" for the Sydney instalment of the four-match Bledisloe Cup series.
Impact loose forward Sione Lauaki looks certain to be axed after his error-ridden second half performance.
Adam Thomson, dropped after a penalty-ridden effort during the previous loss to the Springboks in Dunedin, may earn a recall if Lauaki is sacrificed.
Hansen intimated the starting midfield of Ma'a Nonu and Richard Kahui would be persisted with despite calls for a second backline kicking option in midfield alongside Daniel Carter.
Former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains today said it was crucial a second-five-eighth with a kicking game to be employed against the Wallabies.
" Ma'a does the job he's there to do well but if you need variety, against good defensive teams you can't not afford to have a good kicking second five-eighth."
Nonu is the only specialist second five-eighth in the squad with the little used Stephen Donald, who plays at No 10 for the Chiefs and Waikato the only alternative.
Hansen felt the All Blacks did not lack kicking options but agreed the All Blacks did not use the ball wisely.
"We chose to play, we tried to run it at them all the time," he said.
" We didn't strike the balance between playing with the ball in hand and kicking it and we ended up fatiguing ourselves because they didn't play any rugby."
Hore did not train but his hip bruising is considered too serious.
However, Ellis (ribs) and Cowan (knee/broken nose) are in greater jeopardy, meaning a recall for Weepu, who played the last of his 20 tests against South Africa last July, is likely.
