John Plumtree says the All Blacks "don't cry", but that hasn't stopped Ian Foster's assistant coach from going on the attack and issuing Australian referee Angus Gardner a stern warning ahead of Bledisloe II at Eden Park on Sunday.
Frustrated after their underwhelming performance on All Blacks in Bledisloe I where they had to settle for a 16-16 draw, New Zealand's under pressure coaching staff have attempted to influence the perception of the Wallabies.
The kings of getting away with murder themselves - a Rieko Ioane foot on the white chalk here, a Tupou Vaa'i hand on the ground in the 84th minute there - the All Blacks are crying foul because for the first time in a long time, they are under pressure on and off the field.
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The great fear in New Zealand rugby is that they appointed the wrong coach. Four-time winning Crusaders coach Scott Robertson was beaten to the post by Foster, while former World Cup-winning All Blacks playmaker Aaron Cruden believe his old Chiefs mentor Dave Rennie - who did what Foster couldn't in eight years in his first two years at the club by leading them to Super Rugby titles - was good enough for the top job too, but instead signed with the Wallabies.
Almost half of New Zealand's Super Rugby players didn't want Foster as their coach, while another quarter didn't want the men he appointed as his assistants in the roles either, according to a NZME survey earlier in the year.
And on the back of the All Blacks' heart-in-the-mouth draw in the nation's capital, the pressure is firmly on Foster's men to continue the legacy built under Graham Henry and Steve Hansen who didn't let the Bledisloe Cup slip during their tenures.
Asked whether the All Blacks expected the Wallabies' much-improved performance, Plumtree - the former Hurricanes coach - went on the offensive.
“Yeah there were some similarities, and we knew that was coming,” he said.
"That type of play on the field has got to be dealt with by the ref. There were several occasions where there was some off-ball incidents, but it’s got to be dealt with properly on the field.
“We’ve got to be able to adjust to that as well, and I think that’s probably why you’ve got a couple of senior players in particular pretty fired up about it.”
Plumtree didn't go as far criticising local referee Paul Williams, but didn't forget to add that he was unimpressed by the "off-ball incidents".
“They see what they see, and if Paul missed stuff, then he’s missed it,” added Plumtree. “But if it’s a consistent habit that he’s seeing and it’s not being looked after then obviously we’d be disappointed. We haven’t had those conversations with the referee.
“But it is what it is. If their intent is greater than ours around off-ball incidents, then we’ve just got to make sure we have a crack back at them.”
Once debutant Harry Wilson, who Robertson had described he'd "fallen for" earlier in the year, tackled playmaker Richie Mo'unga fractionally late in the first half.
While the hit could have seen him penalised, it was not high and the All Blacks scored during the same phase.
Meanwhile, Wallabies midfield combination Matt To'omua and Hunter Paisami both made excellent reads in defence to shut down the All Blacks' attack, with both hits forcing errors.
While Plumtree did not want to be drawn into the specifics, it was a purposeful comment used to draw attention to the Wallabies' surprise showing.
“There were some late charges, you guys saw that,” Plumtree told reporters in New Zealand on Wednesday.
“There were one or two other incidents. But All Blacks don’t cry – we just get on with it, and adjust to how the game is being refereed. That’s in every department – breakdown, set piece … we have to adjust to how the game is being played.”
😍 That pressure D
— RUGBYcomau (@rugbycomau) October 13, 2020
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With international travel made difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams was the first New Zealander to referee a trans-Tasman Test since 1978.
On Sunday, Williams' assistant referee Angus Gardner, who missed two crucial calls against the Wallabies in the opening Bledisloe, will control the second Test in Auckland.
Plumtree said he had no issues with Williams controlling the match, but once again didn't miss the chance to remind the officials of their responsibilities.
“We had trust in Paul to do a good job and he went out and did his best,” Plumtree said.
“There are always going to be big talking moments in Test matches, and one of the bigger talking moments were some of the late hits and off-the-ball incidents. But we’ve seen it all before in these big Bled games, haven’t we?”
READ MORE:
ANALYSIS: The biggest area the Wallabies must fix ahead of Bledisloe II
PLAYER RATINGS: How every Wallaby performed in Bledisloe I
'REPLAYED HUNDREDS OF TIMES': Hodge opens up on THAT Bledisloe kick
