The sense on the ground at the team's base at Adidas HQ is that the opener against France next week is a must-win, writes 1News sports reporter Kimberlee Downs.
It would be easy for the All Blacks to succumb to distractions here in Germany.
They're based at Adidas HQ, where there are eye-opening facilities from vast buildings to basketball courts to trampolines.
There's the lure of free kit, the status of special guests, and the bikes readily available to navigate a campus that's unavailable to most people.
And that's only the little that I've been allowed to see.
The sense on the ground at the team's base at Adidas HQ is that the opener against France next week is a must-win after their record loss against the Boks. (Source: 1News)
But Sam Cane, with a fixed look in his eye, told me any distractions are "minimal".
I believed him.
The tension, even at what was pitched as an "open training session" for Adidas staffers to observe, was palpable.
Everything suggests a team that is still wounded by their record loss to South Africa at Twickenham and is feeling the pressure a little over a week before their World Cup opener.
They've been nervously awaiting the outcome of Scott Barrett's judiciary hearing, which will have been weighing on coaches and players alike.
And while plenty of players don't particularly enjoy fronting media, especially in the wake of a loss, it was noticeable how many made a concentrated effort to avoid it.
To be fair, they are also now in preparation mode for arguably their most important game in four years.
A win over France next Saturday would almost certainly see them top their pool and, in theory, have a more favourable quarter-final match-up (though the two most likely candidates of Ireland and South Africa are both unenviable prospects), and crucially get momentum back on track after Saturday's shock.
This is a high-pressure game. There is a lot at stake in the coming weeks.
The sense on the ground is that the players are all too aware of it.
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