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Tu'ungafasi: 'A loss brings a different edge to our preparation

Tu'ungafasi: 'A loss brings a different edge to our preparation

All BlacksAugust 13, 2024

Experienced loosehead prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi said he is sure the All Blacks can turn around their first Test loss when taking on Argentina in the second Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship Test at Eden Park on Saturday.

The 60-Test veteran said players were allowed to be frustrated at their 30-38 loss, but they could not let that intrude too much in their thinking.

"It's probably not going to help the way we prepare, but it's good to keep that [frustration] in the back of your head."

From his propping vantage point, Tu'ungafasi said that 60 minutes before the first scrum, he had never seen a game without a scrum for so long.

"I could tell that the two boys that started [Ethan de Groot and Tyrell Lomax], or the front row, were hoping to have one scrum before they came off. It was unusual.

"I don't think we'll see that again for a long time."

Tu'ungafasi said a loss was never well received by the All Blacks.

"Over the weekend, we spoke about looking inwards, looking in the mirror, what we can do better as players. And there was the same message from the management; 'what can they do better?'

"Coming into this week, there's a little edge in the team preparing."


A loss meant it was a different kind of edge, generated from an individual's feeling of 'what can I do better?'

"The whole squad felt it as well. The boys not playing are doing the same thing – they were saying, 'What could we have done better to prepare the boys for that game?'


"Who knows what my role is for this week, but if I don't get an opportunity to put the jersey on that's going to be my mindset."

The All Blacks had made things hard for themselves.

"If you look at the first quarter of that game, we know we played how we wanted to. We put them [Argentina] under a lot of pressure, and we scored points. 

"I have no doubt we are going to be better this week."'

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