"People are genuinely out for the love of rugby.
"It was pretty tense up until halftime, then everyone got more excited."
Quite a few supporters had worn All Blacks shirts for the occasion but it was not quite at the facepaint point of the tournament yet, Mr Willetts said.
One Argentinian supporter stayed strong among the "friendly banter" he got from the hordes of Kiwis.
It was a good morning for business, with most people ordering breakfast and keeping the kitchen busy, Mr Willetts said.
Along the coast in Papamoa, the tavern was also bustling, with about 30 people enjoying a free coffee and bacon roll.
Papamoa Tavern duty manager Wayne Rose said there was a great vibe and it was definitely worth getting out of bed for.
Tavern co-owner Mark Grant said people enjoyed being among the pub atmosphere for the game. "It's better than sitting at home by yourself ... Some people said they had Sky at home but preferred to watch it with other people."
Despite the Kiwis being down 13 to 12 at half time, the fans in the Papamoa Tavern never worried.
"It's easy for Kiwis, because we watch and always expect to win."
Latitude 37 had about 20 people and just along Maunganui Rd there was another good crowd in Mount Brewing Co.
A Latitude 37 owner said they expected crowds to grow as the tournament progressed.
"I think as it gets closer to the semis and finals, the time won't matter."
Mount Brewing Co owner Matt Hayward said they had a group of vocal supporters in for the game - about half dressed in All Blacks jerseys.
Back in Fraser Cove, Worlds End Bar and Restaurant were gutted to not be able to open as planned because they just missed the seven-day notice period for the liquor licensing.
"We were bummed we couldn't open ... people were keen as. We had lots of calls over the weekend," owner Cameron Keogh said.
They had since secured liquor licensing for the rest of the World Cup for the next games.
The All Blacks will play their second pool match this Friday morning, taking on Namibia.
