Everything was ticking along quite nicely for the All Blacks before they met South Africa at Twickenham.
After a turbulent time between World Cups, by their loftiest of standards, New Zealand looked to have righted themselves.
You can never fly under the radar as an All Black, but they were quietly unbeaten in 11 Tests until last week – the only draw coming when England romped back from 25-6 down, under Eddie Jones, to snatch a 25-25 draw last November.
The sport’s most dominant force looked to be rising again. Then came the Boklash last Friday, a record 35-7 defeat, a red card for Scott Barrett and more puzzling questions about where the All Blacks truly are.
New Zealand do not lose like that. It