All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is preaching patience after another scratchy performance at the Rugby World Cup.
The 43-10 win over Georgia at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium was not the emphatic victory the side had hoped for, after talking about needing to step up a level during the week.
There were some positives, with Waisake Naholo's outstanding opening try with his first touch in a World Cup and Julian Savea's hat-trick putting smiles on the face of the All Blacks coach.
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Waisake Nadolo scores the opening try of the game against Georgia with his first touch at the Rugby World Cup Photo: Photosport
However it will be the error rate that will be of most concern, with the side struggling with some of the basics of the game.
Hansen though, is just happy to get the job done and move on, with the side now guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals with one pool match remaining.
"I wouldn't say our game was great, but it doesn't have to be," he told reporters after the match.
"You don't get any gold medals for winning these games, you just get to qualify and we're in a position now where we can say we're in the quarter-finals, which is pretty exciting."
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen shakes hands with Sonny Bill Williams after the win over Georgia Photo: Photosport
While conceding the error rate was too high and the execution of the basics was not great, Hansen remains confident that's something that can be easily fixed before they meet their quarter-final opponents - either France or Ireland - at the same venue in two weeks' time.
Hansen's more focused on other parts of the game and was pleased with what he saw.
"At the moment you're just trying to work on certain parts of your game and that's the attitude we've taken in this tournament."
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw looks less than happy at the end of the Georgia match Photo: Photosport
Skipper Richie McCaw backed his coach and thought he got the improvement he'd called for.
"A lot of the game, especially up front and defensively, we took a step up," McCaw said.
"If we look at the game as a whole, it's a little bit disappointing, so we're under no illusions that it wasn't perfect out there, but I thought the intensity around the contact areas was definitely a step up."
Near the end of the game McCaw left the field with bruising to his shin and quadracep, and had it iced immediately - but he said he would be fine.
World Cup debutant Waisake Naholo was also hooked early, after 55 minutes, and he was also limping following an early knock to a leg, but Hansen said he's not concerned about the Fijian-born flyer.
"I think he just picked up a limp while he had a broken leg, and he hasn't got rid of it. He didn't limp when he scored his try, he didn't look like he was limping then.
"And is he okay? Yeah he's fine. He's good as gold, apart from his lungs are a bit sore because he hasn't played for a while so, it was always the intention to take him off around the time we took him off."
The All Blacks relocate to Darlington on Sunday (NZT) to begin preparations for their final pool match against Tonga in Newcastle in a week.
