Sam Cane accepts the All Blacks' leaders drove the team down some blind alleys in Wellington last Saturday night.

Although the All Blacks beat France 26-13 at the Cake Tin to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-test series, it's unlikely peels of boisterous laughter echoed around their Dunedin hotel meeting room during the post-match debrief on Monday.

Because All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and his assistants had a heap of the nasty stuff to show-off to their men ahead of the third test in the southern city this weekend.

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All Blacks No 7 Sam Cane and Dany Priso get familair after the former made a late tackle on French halfback Morgan Parra in Wellington last Saturday night.

Even with the French reduced to 14 men, a result of fullback Benjamin Fall being red-carded in the 12th minute, the All Blacks operated like they had just stepped out of a different time zone. The statistics sheet reflected their lethargy: 30 missed tackles, 20 turnovers, 13 penalties conceded and a yellow card to TJ Perenara.

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All Blacks No 7 Sam Cane is pictured scuffling with French lock Bernard Le Roux in Wellington.

Openside flanker Cane, a member of the All Blacks' leadership group which is headed by Sam Whitelock because regular skipper Kieran Read is still injured, reckons it's the generals who have to cop some of the blame.

"Certainly, if we had our time again we would deliver a few different messages," Cane, who admitted his side were too quick to try and exploit France's lack of numbers in the back field, said.

"Just because there is one man down and space out wide, let's go through them first. Go through there until it's really obvious. If we had out time again there would be a couple of different ways."

The halftime chatter centred on how to run the depleted French off their feet. Yet that tactic proved problematic for the All Blacks, because they were in too much of a rush to do most things; and the more they tried, the less accurate they became.

"As a result, probably we pushed passes when it wasn't on instead of earning the right to get into those spaces," Cane admitted.

At least the All Blacks didn't lose, although it would be a nonsense to say anyone walked out of the Cake Tin feeling as if they had got value for money.

Rugby history is littered with examples of when depleted teams have won. In 2014 the Crusaders lost 30-25 to the Sharks, despite the South Africans being reduced to 14 men for 63 minutes because Jean Deysel had been red carded.

Cane said the messages relayed from the coaches, via a trainer, are usually only received after a try has been scored. And often, he maintained, they are only confirming what the players already know.

"A trainer might come to us and say something but they often wait 1 min 30 sec to see if the players have come up with a solution then and there. And then it is not needed.

"If it hasn't they will then whisper it in your ear."

It must be a stink feeling to have your mistakes highlighted, yet Cane, who has played 54 tests, said it was just a fact of being in the All Blacks and that no player, regardless of their experience, was immune.

"Honestly, I think one of the best life skills I have learned from being in rugby is that aspect of being singled out and knowing it's not personal. That it's for the betterment of the team," he said.

"We can tell each other really straight and know it's not a criticism. Sure, it's a little bit uncomfortable when there are 30 of your team-mates around, but you will be doing your best to make sure you are not back on that screen next week."

 - Stuff