New Zealand may be the bookmakers' choice to win the World Cup for the first time since 1987, but as much as wanting the take the Webb Ellis Trophy home with them, they aim to become the people's favourites. It marks a stark contrast with 2003 when, under the head coach John Mitchell, they were the last team to arrive in Australia and sequestered themselves in Melbourne for the first month, only venturing out of their hotel to go to training.
Mitchell had a loathing for the New Zealand media which was to cost him his job after the All Blacks lost to Australia in the semi-finals and sponsors complained to the union about his dour image. The players came to reflect him and every media conference dripped with tension. Mitchell's successor, Graham Henry, the Wales coach in the 1999 World Cup who was revered in his adopted country, is under the same pressure to deliver a trophy the New Zealand public demands and expects, but if the All Blacks fail in France, he intends that they go down smiling.
The All Blacks spent two days in Corsica en route from New Zealand before arriving in Marseille and in just a few days they have seen more of the host nation than they did in six weeks four years ago. "Already I feel more involved in the tournament," said the Saracens-bound lock Chris Jack, a survivor from 2003. "We shut ourselves away in Australia and did not do anything. This time, we intend to fully experience what it means to play in a World Cup." By feeling more involved, Jack amplified: "Just talking to you media guys and getting out and meeting local people. It is important to feel a part of things and that was not the case in Australia. Perhaps it was too close to home, but we did not deal with external factors well."
Far from closeting his players away, Henry wants them to get out and about and, in a stark departure from 2003, they will be making three train journeys between venues during the group stage. "Our approach is a lot different to four years ago," said the New Zealand back rower Reuben Thorne, the captain in 2003. "The current management group is comfortable with the media and that puts a positive shine on everything. "Relations with the media in 2003 were not good and the tension did get to the players. As a group, we are more mature and more experienced than we were then. We tried to lock ourselves away in Australia and it just created problems. Whether this way will be more successful remains to be seen, but it definitely makes for a better environment."
Thorne is on the bench for Saturday's opener against Italy in Marseille, while Henry has chosen what he feels is close to his strongest side, with Doug Howlett preferred to Joe Rokocoko on the right wing. "Italy are no mugs," said Henry. "They nearly beat Ireland last month and they have really come on in the Six Nations in the last couple of years. They have a big set of forwards and a useful back three. I have a lot of respect for them and none for those who say it is going to be a stroll for us."
