Dave Rennie's reign as All Blacks head coach opens on Saturday night, when New Zealand host France at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch in their first Test of the new Nations Championship. Kick-off is 7:05pm, and it is the first All Blacks Test in the city in four years.
France have again left a clutch of frontline names at home, resting players involved in the Top 14 final — among them scrum-half Antoine Dupont and wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey. It has prompted the familiar suggestion that a weakened French side is touring. The All Blacks coaching staff want no part of that narrative.
"I'm not buying into this rubbish that they're bringing over a B team or anything like that," said assistant coach Neil Barnes. "They are one of the best teams in the world, they'll bring everything."
Rennie, who named Ardie Savea as his captain, was quick to point to the strength France can call on. "France have 28 professional sides, but they have the greatest depth in world rugby, and so they've always got a lot of quality players to pick from," he said.
The new coach has a near full-strength group to work with. Fullback Will Jordan, loose forward Wallace Sititi and lock Tupou Vaa'i have all been cleared after injury concerns. "Both are tracking really well and so, at this stage, available," Rennie said of Jordan and Vaa'i.
Much of the build-up has centred on how the All Blacks will play. Barnes has hinted at a more adventurous approach, while pushing back on the modern obsession with the aerial game. "At the moment, I just think it's [gone] a little bit overboard, what teams are doing," he said. "We're here to take a positive outlook on things and not worry around the consequences if it doesn't go well."
First five-eighth Damian McKenzie, in line to steer the side, welcomed the shift in mindset. "I think it's just a mindset thing; a bit of optimism around our counterattack and our turnover ball," he said. "For me I love that style of rugby. You definitely have to be fit, there's nowhere to hide."
For the players, a new regime brings its own uncertainty. Midfielder Jordie Barrett was candid about the mood inside camp. "Probably nervous, also excited and certainly some anticipation around understanding the coaches as people before coaches and then trying to work out which way they want to coach," he said. "So certainly a few nerves around, but a great deal of excitement."
Barrett said the brief was to be braver in possession. "Being more alive to the options we can have with the ball, and maybe not being as conservative as we have been in the past," he said. He was equally clear that the reset offered no guarantees. "There are no fairytales in the All Blacks jersey. You're not guaranteed something because you play next to someone at club rugby," he said.
With rust a genuine risk so early in the season, Barnes insisted standards would not slip. "Rust can be an issue, but we have the All Blacks standards to live up to so it's been all go. The machine doesn't stop moving," he said. "We won't be playing second to anyone in that field."
