The All Blacks are bracing for a tough physical week of training after arriving in Oita where they’ll play Canada next week.
Replicating the strategy the All Blacks used so successfully during the 2015 World Cup, the players will be tested this week with some physical sessions to prepare them for the knockout phases of the tournament, coach Steve Hansen told media today.
“What happens now is we’ve got to knuckle down and make sure we work hard so when we get down to the quarter-final week that we can make sure that we can do what we need to do without having to knock them (the players) around,” Hansen said.
“If we do the work now we might be able to do something a little different that week to get a little more prepared for it, from a freshness state.”
Openside flanker Matt Todd, who had shrugged off the shoulder injury that made him unavailable for the Springboks clash, said the opposed sessions were often up there with the games for intensity.
“Certainly this week Steve has laid out that it’s going to be a pretty tough week so I think there will be a lot of hard work going in this week, (a) slightly longer turnaround so we can put more work in,” Todd said.
“They get pretty willing - obviously everyone wants to be playing so everyone is fighting for spots, at the same time we’re all working towards the same thing but to achieve that you’ve got to make training as hard as you possibly can.
"The more you’re tested there the more prepared you are for the games."
Asked if they were tougher than the games themselves, Todd said they were right up there.
Todd also wasn't shy about his support for the All Blacks continuing to play three opensides in the matchday 23 as they had done at times during the Rugby Championships; a move that would obviously mean he would get more opportunities.
“Hopefully they continue to use that three opensides in the 23 and I get a bit of an opportunity,” he said.
Todd felt that the combination of himself, Sam Cane and Ardie Savea - with Savea flexing into blindside and No.8 as well - all complemented each other.
“We’ve all got different strengths and hopefully the way we’re playing we can complement each other along with Reado (Kieran Read).”
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