The All Blacks will be without two of their starters for next weekend's second test against South Africa in Wellington.
Hooker Codie Taylor left the field after half an hour of Saturday's 24-17 at Eden Park and failed his head injury assessment (HIA), while Emoni Narawa damaged his ribs in an early mid-air collision.
While losing Taylor is a blow, Samisoni Taukei'aho has proven a more than capable replacement and should start the test at Sky Stadium.
Brodie McAlister will likely move onto the bench, but who Scott Robertson pulls in as injury cover will be interesting. George Bell was in McAlister's position last year, but this is a good opportunity to expose young players like Jack Taylor or Manumaua Letiu to the All Black environment.
The wing situation is more fluid, as Narawa was a bit of a surprise selection in the first place, although he completely justified it, with a stunning try after only a couple of minutes. Sevu Reece may be in line for a recall, while Caleb Clarke is now fully fit and ready to play, after two games for Auckland in the NPC.
The All Blacks reshuffled their backline after Narawa left the field, with Damian McKenzie coming on at fullback and Will Jordan filling Narawa's vacant wing.
Forwards coach Jason Ryan was pleased with the result, but admitted some obvious areas remained to work on, most notably the scrum.
"We were a bit messy, especially on our ball," he said. "There was one where they climbed into us and we lost our footing, and we tried to get back up, but it was too late.
"That will be a never-again moment, that one. We've got to be a lot better with our control."
That specific second half misfire led directly to a try by Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, after No.8 Kwagga Smith used the momentum to carve off a big run towards the All Blacks line.
"I liked the intensity we brought from the start," he said. "It had a bit of everything.
"We adapted well, but there were parts where we took the pressure off. It was on a knife-edge, but that's test footy - it swings so quick."
The match was played under unusually high-pressure circumstances for the All Blacks, who hosted the Springboks at Eden Park for the first time in 12 years.
"You often hear the saying 'pressure is a privilege', but the reality is pressure is a lifestyle, when you're in the All Blacks," Ryan said. "That's the way it's got to be.
"There was a lot on this one, but we've got to make sure we build that edge and some this week. That will start with being brutally honest in the review around a couple of opportunities, where we let them back in the game."
All Blacks v Springboks
Kickoff: 7.05pm, Saturday, September 13
Sky Stadium, Wellington
