17/09/2007 Sportal.co.nz
Concerns that the All Blacks are not getting harder pool games, like some of their World Cup rivals, are not causing any worries in the New Zealand camp.
Assistant coach Steve Hansen said the All Blacks were concentrating on their own plans which involved being ready for whoever they may meet in the quarter-finals of the competition.
"We've brought a squad of 30 players who over the last two years have won internationals whoever played, and they won them well, so we've just got to make sure that we've got enough miles under the belt," he said.
The selectors have a specific goal of how much time they want individual players to have had by the time the All Blacks reach the knockout stage of the tournament.
"Yesterday we had five front rowers on the field at one time.
"It's about getting people game time. We're moving in the direction to get there and we're happy with where we're going," he said.
Hansen thought the romp against Portugal was a good game under difficult circumstances.
"I thought Portugal played their part in it. They really, really committed themselves in that first 20 or 30 minutes, they chucked themselves at everything and, I think, they made about 200 tackles. We had to make 120.
"When they did have the ball, initially they kicked it, but later on they tried to play some rugby which was good for them, and good for our guys too, because we got a workout.
"We scored some great tries. We made some errors, there's no doubt about that. I think when you have games like that, errors are going to be part of the parcel," he said.
Hansen added that he thought the team was doing the basics well but it was still early stages in the tournament for the players.
It wasn't about being 100 percent right at this stage of the tournament, that time was due in the quarter-finals, he said.
"We're confident that we can get through this and look at the quarter-final and start amping it up then," he said.
While the All Blacks have been keeping an eye on how their main rivals in the tournament are doing, Hansen said it was difficult to get a truly clear picture because it wasn't known what was going on in the respective camps of those teams.
"You don't know what style of rugby they're trying to play. Are they holding things back, are they just doing enough to win the games? We're not sure, but they are certainly playing a different style of games to what the southern hemisphere [teams] are.
"We all knew that before, and it's been happening for quite some time. Wales are the only team who have been trying to throw the ball around.
"It's nothing new, it's just a different style of game, it makes for a more physical, messy style of game," he said.
Assistant coach Steve Hansen said the All Blacks were concentrating on their own plans which involved being ready for whoever they may meet in the quarter-finals of the competition.
"We've brought a squad of 30 players who over the last two years have won internationals whoever played, and they won them well, so we've just got to make sure that we've got enough miles under the belt," he said.
The selectors have a specific goal of how much time they want individual players to have had by the time the All Blacks reach the knockout stage of the tournament.
"Yesterday we had five front rowers on the field at one time.
"It's about getting people game time. We're moving in the direction to get there and we're happy with where we're going," he said.
Hansen thought the romp against Portugal was a good game under difficult circumstances.
"I thought Portugal played their part in it. They really, really committed themselves in that first 20 or 30 minutes, they chucked themselves at everything and, I think, they made about 200 tackles. We had to make 120.
"When they did have the ball, initially they kicked it, but later on they tried to play some rugby which was good for them, and good for our guys too, because we got a workout.
"We scored some great tries. We made some errors, there's no doubt about that. I think when you have games like that, errors are going to be part of the parcel," he said.
Hansen added that he thought the team was doing the basics well but it was still early stages in the tournament for the players.
It wasn't about being 100 percent right at this stage of the tournament, that time was due in the quarter-finals, he said.
"We're confident that we can get through this and look at the quarter-final and start amping it up then," he said.
While the All Blacks have been keeping an eye on how their main rivals in the tournament are doing, Hansen said it was difficult to get a truly clear picture because it wasn't known what was going on in the respective camps of those teams.
"You don't know what style of rugby they're trying to play. Are they holding things back, are they just doing enough to win the games? We're not sure, but they are certainly playing a different style of games to what the southern hemisphere [teams] are.
"We all knew that before, and it's been happening for quite some time. Wales are the only team who have been trying to throw the ball around.
"It's nothing new, it's just a different style of game, it makes for a more physical, messy style of game," he said.
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