After a weekend of four World Cup quarter-finals played out on a proverbial knife edge, it would be dangerous to predict what will happen at the Stade de France on Saturday but what is certain is that the All Blacks have gone extremely deep mentally in terms of their preparation this week.
To that end, it may be helpful to have 151-Test veteran lock Sam Whitelock in the thick of it from the start against Argentina.
During the week, assistant coach Jason Ryan gave an insight into Whitelock’s demanding mindset when he said the pair have had many robust arguments and that the 35-year-old, in his final days as an All Black, could occasionally be ruthless in terms of his expectations. That was putting it politely.
If there is any danger of complacency creeping into the All Blacks after their epic victory over Ireland, Whitelock should be relied on to snuff it out.
And the same applies to mental skills guru Ceri Evans, who has been helping the All Blacks here in Paris for the knockout matches.
Evans, a former All Whites footballer-turned-sports-psychologist and a man who helped Richie McCaw hugely before and during the All Blacks’ run to their 2011 World Cup triumph, has been increasingly involved, hooker Codie Taylor told 1News this morning. After the disappointment of four years ago at this point – a huge motivating factor in itself – every little bit helps.
The focus of the All Blacks who fronted the media was noticeable last week and the same applied this morning at their base in a leafy suburb to the west of Paris.
On the face of it, they should have too many attacking weapons for a Pumas team who came back well against Wales in their quarter-final, but who failed to get past a 14-man England in their tournament opener. The All Blacks scrum should also be too good against a side who have slipped in that area.
But if the home team's historic failure in Christchurch last year was a pertinent reminder of the small margins at the top level, the narrow scores in three of the four quarter-finals over the weekend should have pressed it home.
Skipper Sam Cane sat alongside head coach Ian Foster for the team announcement, in which it was confirmed that Whitelock would replace Brodie Retallick in the starting line-up, with Mark Tele’a back on the left wing ahead of Leicester Fainga’anuku and hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho in for Dane Coles on the bench.
Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith followed. Like last weekend, Foster and his players were considered in their replies but the determination coming off them was almost palpable.
Halfback Smith, asked about how the All Blacks could get back up mentally and emotionally after the highs of the 28-24 over the former world No.1 side Ireland, replied: “We’ve just got to look at in the face and say, ‘yeah, we took that step’, but I’m an emotional person.
“I use things to fuel me. I remember being in the same position four years ago and we didn’t get it right that night.
“I want to start better,” he added. “My execution was off for a good chunk of that game. I cost the team dearly with a yellow card and my first two passes found no one. So personally, I’m just trying to execute my role for the team and in the second half I think I did that.”
Smith’s yellow card for an intentional knock-on probably did cost the All Blacks a converted try when his opposite Jamison Gibson-Park scooted around a lineout drive to score a try in the space where Smith probably would have been defending, but the 10-minute sanction gave him a breather which contributed to him staying on the field for the entire second half.
“As I said on Saturday night, that’s the proudest All Black performance I’ve been a part of," he said. "The build-up, the emotion and the game, especially for myself. It felt like the game went for two days. The second half felt like forever.
“For our boys to really stay in it and really control that last 10 minutes, it was the proudest point. And to defend 37 phases, to stay onside and not give away a penalty, not give them another opportunity, and for one of our senior players [Whitelock] to nail the last moment was pretty special.
“We want to be better than we were last weekend.”
It was a mantra repeated by Barrett, who said: “We know we’ve got to be better again this weekend.
“It’s our final once again, it’s how we treated last week’s game," he added. "We know that from previous lessons our intensity needs to be matched if not increased from the previous week when it comes to knockout rugby. We’re well aware of the great supporters the Argentines have… they thrive on it. But we’re up for the challenge – whatever comes our way, we’re ready.”
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