All Blacks ready for Italy test

New Zealand may be heavy favourites to win the World Cup, but they are taking all the pressure in their stride ahead of their opening Pool C game against Italy in Marseille tomorrow.

As with most World Cups, the All Blacks are being tipped as the team to beat but since their inaugural success in 1987, they have always blown it on the big occasion.

Never has the expectation been as high as this year, though, and it is difficult to find a weakness in Graham Henry’s side.

It seems only nerves can stop them claiming the sport’s biggest prize for a second time, but there have been no signs of them in the build-up to their clash with the Azzurri,

France soccer superstar Zinedine Zidane joined the All Blacks for a kickabout during their training session on Thursday, and the retired former Real Madrid and Juventus playmaker was amazed at how Henry’s men were handling the pressure.

“They are strong, they are quick, even quicker than us footballers,” said Zidane, who was born in Marseille.

“But what impressed me the most, it is their total relaxation. It is nothing like us in football, where everything is more closed off.

“To smash balls for an exhibition event two days before a match would be unthinkable to us in football.”

Is this a sign that New Zealand are the real deal in 2007?

They are certainly taking no risks for their opener at the Stade Velodrome against the dark horses of Italy.

Henry has named his strongest possible line-up for what could be his team’s most testing examination of the group stages.

By the time they take on Scotland, the other major player in the pool, on September 23, they should have found their groove. A little bit of All Black rustiness could even give Italy a sniff, but it is doubtful.

“We want to start off the best we can,” said captain Richie McCaw. “Italy sets a reasonable challenge, I think. We’ve got to make sure we’re on the money.

“This is the first step of four we’ve got to take and we want to start the tournament well.”

McCaw has been suffering from a cold and a sore throat this week and he skipped training on Thursday afternoon to avoid tiring himself out.

The imperious flanker should be fit to lead his team out at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday, while replacement lock Reuben Thorne is expected to shrug off a leg problem to take his place on the bench.

Henry has gone with a centre partnership of Conrad Smith and Luke McAlister, while Keven Mealamu gets the nod at hooker over Anton Oliver and Doug Howlett has been selected on the right wing.

Keith Robinson was the only player not considered for the game owing to his calf injury.

New Zealand have won all eight of the previous meetings between the two sides.

One of them came in 1987 when the southern hemisphere giants thrashed the Azzurri 70-6 in a group opener.

Since then, the Kiwis have beaten Italy in the 1991, 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

Those last two World Cup meetings have seen the Italians ship 171 points, but it should be much tighter this time round.