First-five Richie Mo'unga has dismissed public criticism of the All Blacks as merely "outside noise", insisting he's unfazed by what those outside of the squad think of their abysmal recent performances.
The All Blacks are currently amid a generational struggle, having lost five of their last six tests, most recently a 26-10 defeat against South Africa on Sunday (NZ time) during which they barely threatened the Springboks' tryline.
On Tuesday, that result saw the team plummet to fifth in the world - the lowest they've ever sat in the official rankings.
In turn, pressure on coach Ian Foster and the players has reached suffocating levels, and while Mo'unga acknowledges the frustrations of the fans as "fair", he said he isn't necessarily bothered by them.
"The team they support that usually gets results is not getting results at the moment," said Mo'unga.
"It's fair for the fans to care, because they do… but it's also fair on us to not care what they think because we have a role to play and a job to do, and hearing that isn't going to help us at this moment."
The 35-test international said he's been wearing a black jersey for long enough to understand such criticism is part and parcel of life as an All Black, but felt for those who were new to the set-up and still adjusting to being within that unique pressure-cooker environment.
"We've got younger guys in the squad who haven’t experienced that before, so it's tough on them," he said. "It's tough on our families.
"But as someone who has been around for a little while, my mindset doesn't change, my energy doesn’t change… the outside noise doesn't matter to me or affect me.
"I can understand that the fans and people out there can get frustrated but we're trying our best. We know it's not up to All Blacks standard. Our preparations will be very deep to get a result this weekend."
Turning around Sunday's result will take a monumental reversal of form. The All Blacks didn't come close to scoring a try through 78 minutes of the test at Mbombela Stadium, as they were overwhelmed in all facets of the game by a trademark - albeit highly predictable - Springboks performance.
The All Blacks lacked structure across the park but particularly offensively, where they were let down by ill-advised passes and errors at inopportune times - mistakes Mo'unga believes come down to basic execution rather than any mental lapse.
"I wouldn’t say it's mental, I'd say it's skill error," he noted.
"You don’t have to be in the right frame of mind to catch a ball or to complete your job or to do the basics well and I think not executing those put us under pressure."
Mo'unga's role as in impact substitute seem likely to continue this weekend, with regular starter Beauden Barrett confirming he's fit and available for selection, despite his horrific mid-air collision with Springboks wing Kurt-Lee Arendse that forced him from the field in the first test.
But given Foster's precarious position, he may well look to throw a 'hail Mary' and take some risks with his selections this week, which could potentially involve a return to the dual playmaker approach that saw both Mo'unga and Barrett in the starting XV.
Having not started a game since the test against Italy last year, the Crusaders linchpin insisted he's primed for action - not matter what capacity he's used in.
"I'm capable of a start as well," he said. "I'm capable of being the guy if the team needs me to be that guy. I also understand I have a role to come on in the last 30 or 20 to try to change a game around.
"I'm ready."
