Aaron Smith: All Blacks need more variation on attack

Veteran scrumhalf Aaron Smith says the All Blacks need more variation in their game given their ball-in-hand "mentality" is being exploited by opposition teams.

Smith believes that his side needs to be more prepared to kick the ball rather than constantly seek to run with it as New Zealand look to avoid back-to-back defeats to Argentina at home.

"I think variety is key, but the mentality from our boys is to want to be able to hold the ball, build pressure and use our attack," he told reporters.

"As we see with the northern hemisphere teams and the teams so far in the Rugby Championship, they want to give us the ball.

"They don't really want to play and they're really attacking our breakdown.

"If you attack with the ball for long periods of time, you're giving them opportunities and they're taking them."

Los Pumas scored just one try in their 25-18 victory over New Zealand last week and were required to make 184 tackles in the 80 minutes - they missed just eight for a 96% completion rate.

The All Blacks held onto the ball for long periods of the game ending the match with 61% possession and 63% territory.

They kicked just 15 times compared to the Pumas' 25.

Smith said there were honest conversations with flyhalf Richie Mo'unga about being aligned in their game plan.

"Because teams at the moment are going 2-3 phases and just kicking it, because that's their tactic, and they try to punish us at the breakdown and that's what the Argies did," he said.

"Argentina weren't trying to win the game, they were just trying not to lose it. They used their defence for that and we played into their hands.

"Variation, that was something we looked at hard in the review and we can still use our kicking game, use the ball to pressure teams and obviously turn them around."