Now the All Blacks know how difficult this World Cup is going to be when they get to the sudden-death phase next month.
Their 26-16 victory over Argentina at London's Wembley Stadium in front of 89,000 fans - a record for a World Cup match - wasn't comprehensive, or terribly convincing, but a win is a win and for that all New Zealand rugby fans will be thankful.
Their campaign to retain the Webb Ellis Cup in finally under way and they required a fast finish to get them home.
The facts are this: for the first 67 minutes, until replacement flanker Sam Cane scored his side's second try, the New Zealanders looked rusty and rattled as they bombed at least two tries and were unable to tame a ferocious Pumas scrum.
A touch of brilliance by halfback Aaron Smith - when he set-up a try for Cane - sealed the deal, as did the goal kicking of Dan Carter who nailed all six shots at goal to claim 16 points.
Now let's talk about the yellow cards.
Captain Richie McCaw and centre Conrad Smith were caned for professional fouls by referee Wayne Barnes in the first half, briefly reducing their side to 13 men as they simmered in the sinbin.
It took a series of substitutions to galvanise the All Blacks with loosehead Wyatt Crockett taking the place of Tony Woodcock, Sonny Bill Williams replacing midfielder Ma'a Nonu and Beauden Barrett shifting to fullback as Nehe Milner-Skudder went to the bench.
Yet it was the issue of the All Blacks' discipline - or lack of it - that will receive plenty of airtime around the city of London this week.
If you look back to the on-the-record comments reaching as far back as the Rugby Championship, you would discover the All Blacks coaches had banged on about the importance of maintaining discipline during this tournament.
Yet, when the pressure went on, the New Zealanders inexplicably lost their cool as the Pumas got in behind their defensive line.
Had an inexperienced player made these indiscretions you could have shrugged them off as simply a dumb act by a young pup who was overawed by the occasion; instead it was flanker McCaw and centre Smith, a pair who have almost 250 test caps between them, who committed the fouls.
There could be no criticising Barnes' judgement; he was well within his rights to send them to the cooler.
McCaw was lying on the deck when he stuck out a leg - and really it had no effect on the play at all but it was certainly illegal - to try and trip Pumas Juan-Martin Fernandez Lobbe after he had taken a quick penalty tap.
That really set the Wembley crowd off and McCaw was razzed all the way during his march of shame. And later, when his face was imprinted on the big screen, they really gave it to him.
Smith was carded for going off his feet while digging for ruck ball as the Pumas screamed into the hot zone, having got there thanks to a sharp run by left wing Juan Imhoff down the middle of the park.
Right wing Nehe Milner-Skudder is probably still wondering how he shelled a beautiful offload by Williams to blow a try in the 47th minute.
Williams, who had just seconds earlier replaced Nonu, glided down the right flank and a right-arm offload sent the pill towards the Milner-Skudder who was motoring on his outside.
Skudder, instead of racing over the chalk, was left empty-handed as the ball bobbled into touch.
Even No 8 Kieran Read, usually such a calm man when things start getting difficult, wasn't immune to basic mistakes.
Read, sensing McCaw was unmarked near the left touchline fired out a looping skip pass that went to … no-one. Instead of finding McCaw's mitts, it went forward and out.
Then Cane, within minutes of taking the field as a sub, looked to have applied the tourniquet but dropped a pass after halfback Aaron Smith made a brilliant break.
Replacement fullback Beauden Barrett also looked to have nailed a runaway try but it was called back for a knock-on.
It wasn't perfect but the All Blacks have finally got started. Next up is Namibia at the Olympic Stadium on Friday morning.
AT A GLANCE
All Blacks 26 (Sam Cane, Aaron Smith tries; Dan Carter 2 con, 4 pen) Argentina 16 (Guido Petti Pagadizaval try; Nicholas Sanchez con, 3 pen). HT: 12-13.
- Stuff
