Managing the mental side of their game will be the biggest challenge facing New Zealand in the World Cup, according to noted sports psychologist Gary Hermansson.
Hermansson, Professor Emeritus at Massey University and a longtime member of national teams' support staff, says that when the importance of winning dominates themindset there is a tendency to let self-doubt creep in.
"We too readily move our thinking from performing itself, into a fear of failing," Hermansson said on the eve of the Cup opener against Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval.
"The flow-on effects of such fear result in physical and mental tightness, with skill level, decision-making and the ability to respond instinctively being severely undermined, the professor said.
"We as a nation tend to falter in the face of it."
Hermansson said being successful at sport was a central aspect of New Zealand's national identity. The country's standing on the world's sporting stages "takes on a significance beyond its reality".
He added that New Zealand's "well-ingrained" national characteristic was that "we seem to have to strive to 'not let people down' and this feeds into the struggle."
Hermansson said as national expectations grew and the consequences of succeeding, or not, became over-exaggerated, the issue became more pronounced.
"As a nation we ... are very critical when [players] do not produce as desired."
Hermansson said it was important for the New Zealand squad to focus attention on the mental aspects they could control - citing attitude, desire, presence, competitiveness, confidence, focus "and, especially, enjoyment".
He believes playing the Cup at home will help, citing the 2011 Rugby World Cup as evidence of that.
"[The All Blacks'] mental struggle was very much evident in their final performance against France. You could say that we choked and won at the same time," he said.
The more the nation embraced and "demonstrably" supported the New Zealand team, and the more the players sustained attention on their efforts rather than the outcome, "the more likely the current momentum will continue through the campaign".
