Rugby: Sport shrinks join ABs for end

New Zealand All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Head doctors brought on board to keep the boys focused on winning.

By the time you read this, you'll hopefully be looking forward to an All Blacks World Cup semifinal.

The Herald on Sunday went to press before the 8am kick off in Cardiff - and before the stress of a quarter-final match up with our French nemesis.

If you thought it was tough watching, spare a thought for the men in black who have called in a new "head doctor" as they enter the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup.

Former All White Dr Ceri Evans joined the New Zealand camp alongside longtime mental-skills guru Gilbert Enoka ahead of this morning's clash. Selector Grant Fox revealed yesterday that Evans, a sports psychologist, had been with the squad in Wales this week.

It is perhaps a reflection of how pressure is ramping up on the defending champions as they hit the business end of the tournament.

That pressure included All Black claims that rumours of a French player mutiny against their coach were a "smokescreen" designed to con them ahead of this morning's sudden-death showdown.

Fox gave short shrift to English and French media reports that coach Philippe Saint-Andre had been "dismissed" by the players before the Millennium Stadium game, saying it was a ploy doomed to fail.

"You can't keep playing that card," Fox told Newstalk ZB host Tony Veitch. Comparisons were being made to the 2011 World Cup, where France's players turned their back on coach Marc Lievremont early in the tournament, then went to the final, pushing the All Blacks to the limit in the decider.

"We don't believe it. We don't think that's real. We don't think Saint-Andre has lost the group at all. In fact he's well respected by his group so we don't believe it for one minute."

Fox said the All Blacks brains trust suspected it was a deliberate tactic to unsettle the All Blacks.

And against that pressured backdrop Evans has been introduced.

It is not the first time the 52-year-old, who was a central defender for the All Whites in the 1980s and 90s, has been in the All Blacks camp.

He was also involved in the build-up to the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand and has worked with other sports teams, including the Warriors.

He also did some work for the Mercedes F1 team last year with reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Enoka has more than 200 tests under his belt in the All Blacks camp and was a central figure in helping Richie McCaw and other players cope with their calamitous exit from the World Cup quarter-finals in 2007 when they were unexpectedly beaten by France at the same stage of the tournament.

"This team does a lot of work on mental skills with Gilbert Enoka, who is outstanding," Fox said. "Ceri Evans has been around the group this week [too].

"This pressure is enormous, the expectation is huge. But you've got to walk towards it because if you don't, you will fail. You've got to embrace it like it's your mate and they've talked a lot about that this week."