There is a certain amount of pressure on this New Zealand side as they prepare to defend their Rugby World Cup trophy.
The team feels the vibe from back home and that plays on your mind. I was on the receiving end of two slips-ups at World Cups.
One of those was the team in 1995 which was equally as good as this one, and we didn’t bring silverware home.
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Unfortunately, there are so many things that can go wrong. You could lose key players like Dan Carter or Richie McCaw, so it’s not in the bag. They have to turn up and play to win but I do think this side has enough experience to do that every time.
The pressure is on because we’ve only won the competition at home, too. We haven’t won it away and I guess that’s in the back of everyone’s mind because New Zealand talk it up every four years.
If things haven’t gone right in your build up you feel the pressure more, but we’ve got a pretty comfortable pool. I don’t think this team has found its rhythm yet.
We’ve been changing players around and some haven’t really returned to true form, so the pool’s convenient for them to try and find their flow. We’ve got a nice combination of new players too, which has added some zing.
They’re kind of special. Nehe Milner-Skudder or Waiseke Naholo, both have the potential to light this World Cup.
Milner- Skudder has got the first nod but Sam Warburton has warned there can be no easing up when Wales target a flying start to their World Cup campaign against minnows Uruguay on Saturday.
The South Americans’ last World Cup experience realised a nightboth have put their hands up in the build-up games.
I think if you had to pick how you wanted it, Steve Hansen would have had Argentina second or third game in, just because on your first hit-out it’s been a few weeks since your last game, no-one’s had any rugby, so there is a bigger chance of a slip. I only say that because of the calibre of the Argentina side at the moment.
They have really stepped up and I hope that they can continue that in this World Cup, I sincerely do, because it’s only going to be good for world rugby.
The stronger they are the better it is across the board. The interesting thing about the Pumas is that we’ve all been saying for a while that they’re going to knock teams over and be a threat.
But in the last few years we’ve seen them knock over South Africa and Australia, and they pushed us hard for 60 minutes.
They haven’t been able to keep that up for 80 minutes and that’s the crux for most teams.
You have to be so fit and then when it gets to that crunch time at the 60-minute mark you have to have impact from your bench and not lose your shape.
That’s probably where New Zealand are miles ahead of everyone else.
The quality that comes off the bench, sometimes, offers more than what’s on the pitch.
Josh Kronfeld was capped 54 timesby New Zealand and played at the1995 and 1999 World Cups.
