All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has just thrown a wee morsel out there.

Throwaway line or not, it'll be interesting to see if Steve Hansen gets a bite.

The All Blacks head coach doesn't say too much by accident. There's invariably a target or a message involved and the worth of this latest wee morsel will be determined by who responds.

There's some pretty healthy confidence among two or three of rugby's home nations and that belief was hardly dented by the fine performance of the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand earlier this year. They're particularly proud of their competitiveness and record against the All Blacks, and other southern hemisphere sides, during the annual November tests and aren't afraid to talk about it.

PHOTOSPORT The Rugby Championship-winning All Blacks have arrived in Cape Town weary but happy.

So will any be baited by a suggestion that any parity might owe more to air miles than playing prowess?

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PHOTOSPORT Having been penciled in to play at Buenos Aires, before paternity intervened, will Lima Sopoaga start in Cape Town.

"Since Argentina have been brought into this [Rugby Championship] competition the travel has become a big thing. Where you pay the price is probably not so much in this competition, it's when you go on the end-of-year tour," Hansen said after the All Blacks arrived in Cape Town from Buenos Aires on Tuesday morning (NZT).

"The Argentinians themselves have travelled all through the Super Rugby and then they've travelled all over the place in this competition. Australia, South Africa and ourselves are doing the same.

"It's no coincidence that since this competition has become four [teams], rather than three - and the travel's been greater - the results have started to change a little up north."

Hansen's tried to address that by mixing and matching the squad for these away tests against Argentina and South Africa.

Waisake Naholo, Luke Romano, Vaea Fifita, Ardie Savea and Ngani Laumape went back to New Zealand, after the 36-10 win over the Pumas, while Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Ryan Crotty, Lima Sopoaga and Liam Squire sat that first trip out, going straight to South Africa instead.

Star lock Brodie Retallick was due to be in the party that bypassed Buenos Aires, until the terribly said news that he and wife Niki had lost a baby son prematurely.

"Obviously it's disappointing he's not here. But it's an even greater blow what's happened," said Hansen.

"It puts the game of rugby squarely where it should be; it's a sport and there's bigger things in life than that.

"We just hope him and Nik are dealing with it well - which I'm sure they are - but it takes time and we're thinking of them and sending lots of love."

In Retallick's absence, Scott Barrett appears the logical candidate to partner Whitelock in the second row. But that's one of many positions in which Hansen's final choice could be slightly unconventional.

He wants to win in Cape Town and, if you have the chance to keep a team such as South Africa down, you take it. But, with Australia still to play in Brisbane, then a five-match tour to Europe, Hansen's increasingly conscious of giving his better players breaks where e can.