Black days are looming. All Black days that is.
Five months ago, it was hard to believe that 2011 - Rugby World Cup year - had finally arrived.
Today marks 100 days until kick-off. As New Zealanders, we've learned over many painful years that while we may have the best team in
world rugby - that in no way means we have the goods to lift the cup as a right.
We may well go into this tournament as favourites, but as supporters we will no longer allow our hearts to be crushed by premature defeat at the hands of our greatest rugby rivals. It's sad but true - while a little piece inside us all will harbour hopes of a host nation victory, another little piece has been hardened by disappointment and cynicism to help deal with the pain of the defeat we've come to expect.
But this time will be different, won't it?
Surely the fact we're hosting the Rugby World Cup will give us that little boost we need to go all the way.
We know the mistakes we've made in the past - let's avoid gallivanting off the coast of southern France in the middle of a tense tournament. Let's avoid the unnecessary switching of backline positions.
Let's avoid the avoidance of potentially match-winning drop kicks at the death.
We've had four years to prepare for this moment and we have more to prove than any other team.
Now, with 100 days to go - little more than three months - surely we can afford to eye the prize with some sense of entitlement.
Rugby World Cup supremo Martin Snedden asked the audience at Friday's Canon Media Awards in Auckland whether they would prefer the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup tournament or New Zealand hosts a successful Rugby World Cup event.
I'm sure we'd all love to see the latter, but the overwhelming response was for option A - we want to see Richie McCaw raise that trophy.
Will this be our year?
Of course it will.
