All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett is determined to arrive in Japan next week as a Tri Nations champion.
Barrett will travel with partner Hannah and daughter Billie Rose after this weekend's Test against Argentina to link up with his new club, Suntory Sungoliath, as he begins his sabbatical.
“We’ll be going up to Japan together next week, and I can’t wait for that. I think we have two weeks in isolation up there, so I’ll get plenty of time to take over and give Han a break, and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Before that, though, they face a provocative Pumas side who will be looking to back up their historic 25-15 victory nearly a fortnight ago.
“It’s clearly been our discipline,” was Barrett's response as to what has gone wrong in the past two Tests.
“The last two games you’ve seen, referees have been forced to make some big decisions and a lot of penalties against us.
“We can’t give them any opportunity to do that, and it starts with us and our discipline.
“You look at our attack and defence and can pick that apart as much as you want, but it starts with us not giving the referees anything", he added.
Not only had the team highlighted shortcomings in their performance, Barrett says solutions have also been highlighted to combat the problem.
A focus on players doing their own individual small tasks is key in bouncing back after successive defeats, he said.
“It starts with the individual. Every player has to have their ways to get back to the moment and not let those little frustrations get the better of them, which gives the ref no option but to penalise us. It hurts the team," Barrett said.
“It’s like a skill, like our physical training. We need to train the brain as well and put away time in our weekly plan for it so we are growing the mental side of the game because it is a huge part of the quality of an All Blacks team.
“I aim for perfection but know it’s not achievable, so I’m always working to be better each day."
Ian Foster's men can still claim the Tri Nations title and will need a bonus point win on Saturday against the South Americans to give themselves the best chance to finish 2020 on a high.
The All Blacks, Pumas and Wallabies are currently all level on six points each on the table.
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