All Blacks now ready for a power surge

NEW ZEALAND are determined to learn the lessons of the past and insist they are happy to be considered favourites for the World Cup.

It is nothing new for the All Blacks to be labelled pre-tournament favourites ahead of a World Cup tournament but having won only one of the previous five, they have also had to endure being branded chokers after the competitions have finished.

Some have suggested they struggle to cope with the tag of favourites but the class of 2007 claim they are happy to be lauded as the best team in the world.

“It’s great to be favourite. Probably, perhaps, in the past, we considered this as a burden on our shoulders,” said full-back Mils Muliaina.

“Now we’re really excited about it.

“People remind us of that a lot. It’s just a fact, now we have an opportunity to win it this time.”

Flanker Jerry Collins showed how relaxed he and his team-mates are by arriving at the press conference in Marseille in flip-flops.

“It’s not until you really get on the field and that the first match is kicked off that you realise you’re here for the World Cup,” he said.

“Expectation follows us. It’s bigger when the tournament starts. It’s pretty small at the moment but I think as the games go on and get bigger, it would be different.”

The favourites tag is not getting to him either.

“When you play for the All Blacks, you know that it is just a part of the job, that’s part of being an All Black to be pushed by this pressure.”

“My approach is the same as the last time I went to the World Cup. You’re here to win the World Cup. If you’re not here to win, you shouldn’t be here and that’s probably the number one psychology you need. Everybody wants to win it.

“You do anything you can to win, anything, because it only happens once every four years.”

In 2003 in Australia, New Zealand were once again favourites and were expected to meet England in an explosive final, pitting England’s dominant pack against the All Blacks’ speedy and talented backs.

But things did not go to plan as New Zealand bowed out to bitter rivals Australia in the semi-finals.

Now they are using that set-back to motivate them.

“If you ask me, 2003, I would say it was probably the best way, the best preparation for this World Cup,” he said.

“They made us ready to play, the same as here. It’s not until you lose that you find out.”

New Zealand begin their bid with a good omen, a match against Italy, against whom they started their one winning campaign in 1987.

They thrashed the Italians 70-6 back then but Collins expects this match to be much tougher.

“Italy, they’re very good. They’re coached by a Frenchman (Pierre Berbizier). He’s like a fox, he was like a fox when he was a player, a very good player,” he said.

“A lot of the boys who play for Italy play in France and in England. They play, I suppose, a very good style of rugby, at the moment.

“We don’t underestimate them because they will have a lot of supporters here in Marseille. They’re pretty much like the Argentinians, they’re very good.”