The All Blacks coaches are appealing to an anxious public to trust them today, and to have faith in their plan to end 24 years of World Cup misery.
 
Pressure is mounting on the All Blacks in the rugby obsessed nation to play their ‘A’ team against Japan in their second pool match on Friday and stick with it for the rest of the tournament.

New Zealand prides itself as the spiritual home of rugby and it is considered a national shame that the All Blacks have only won the World Cup once and that was in 1987.

Since the latest edition of the tournament began, talkback forums have been clogged with people demanding a settled team for each game, but All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said that would not happen.

He said they are not worried about what other people are saying.

Hansen said their job is to make sure they stay to the plan that they have elected and they are confident that the plan is the right one.

He said the All Blacks are only one game into it and people have to trust them that they will get the task done.

A run-on role for Colin Slade is possible against Japan if the selectors decide to rest master pivot Dan Carter who is nursing a sore back from the bruising encounter with Tonga.

NZ takes on Japan at 8pm Friday.


Story by: Dhanjay Deo