All Blacks coach Ian Foster didn't feel any "relief" from this afternoon's 27-7 win over the Wallabies in Auckland, but he did take pleasure in the team laying down a marker.
The All Blacks improved immensely from last week's draw in Wellington, giving Foster his first win as head coach in front of a packed out Coopers Catch Stadium this afternoon,
Asked how he rated the team's performance, Foster remained reserved after the Test.
"Are we happy we got a response? Yes, we are," Foster said.
"We said last week that it was a tough old gig, that the Wallabies played really well and whilst we were far from satisfied, it was still a performance that there were some things that went in there that were okay but we knew we had to lift our own standards.
"I thought we set a marker down of where we need to be as a team in terms of the mental side of the game and the approach to the phsicality and speed of it.
"Was it a perfect it performance though? No it wasn't."
Foster and his coaching staff faced plenty of questions after the 16-16 draw and while this afternoon's result will keep critics at bay for a while, the coach said none of that really worries him.
"Relief isn't something I feel at all, to be fair," he said.
"This is what Test matches are all about and if we don't perform to the levels that we want to, we know that a lot of pressure comes on this team."
Foster and the All Blacks now head to Australia for the three team Rugby Championship, which will also includes Argentina.
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