Owen Farrell and Kieran Read. Photos / Getty Images
The All Blacks will take on England in their biggest game in four years, but their nerves won't be any worse than those suffered by fans, writes Patrick McKendry from Tokyo.
The past four years have led to this moment for the All Blacks and now they're just one more hurdle away from a third consecutive Rugby World Cup final.
It's been 1455 days since the All Blacks defeated Australia 34-17 in Twickenham, with England failing to progress past pool play in 2015.
But tonight the two heavy hitters face-off at Yokohama Stadium in one of the most anticipated semifinals in World Cup history.
And with that in mind, the nerves of four and a half million people rest on the shoulders of 23 men and their coaching staff.
Unbeaten in 18 World Cup matches going back to that disastrous quarter-final loss to France in Cardiff in 2007, the team have earned their spot by thrashing Ireland in their quarter-final last weekend.
England, unbeaten at this tournament, similarly demolished Australia in theirs.
For the winner, a final date with either Wales or South Africa awaits. For the loser, the grim prospect of a bronze play-off match against one of those teams lurks.
The winning record of the All Blacks should be enough to keep fans' confidence high enough to avoid too many butterflies, Mindworks psychologist Sara Chatwin said.
"To minimise the stress, people need to think about the amazing track record and the fact these guys are consummate professionals. Just take some time to chill, gather yourself with people who are very positive and supportive around you so that you have support in those harder moments."
Because the country placed a lot of emphasis on sport and the All Blacks, if they lost there would be a considerable "level of disappointment".
Before the storm of a test match, there is always the calm for the team. They will be forced to make thousands of complex decisions and adjustments — some conscious, most instinctive — under extreme pressure but, or perhaps because of that, their game-day schedule won't change.
There is comfort in routine and so most will get up about 7am, have breakfast, go for a walk, have a coffee, start thinking about lunch, have their various problematic body parts strapped — shoulders, ankles, fingers, wrists — do the "walk-through" of the various moves, rest some more, and then assemble for the bus journey from central Tokyo to Yokohama — a journey of about 40km.
Kick-off is at 5pm local time (9pm NZT), so their preparations may not include the post-midday nap that many normally enjoy before a later start.
This match between the defending champions and No 2 team in the world must be considered the most significant of this World Cup so far and the players from both teams will trust what works for them, no matter their experience levels.
That will apply as much to Sevu Reece, the 22-year-old All Blacks wing who has played only six tests, as to skipper Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Sonny Bill Williams, the unique trio attempting to win their third World Cup in a row.
"On the day of the final I don't deviate from this — there's no way I'm changing anything," Jerome Kaino says in his biography of the day of the 2011 World Cup final at Eden Park. "I had slept well too — I always do before a test. The night before, the boys were saying 'this is our last sleep before we find out whether we win the World Cup'. Even at breakfast, it was 'our last breakfast'.
"Our pre-match meal was 'our last pre-match meal'. It sounds like we were condemned men, but it was said with a smile and genuine excitement. There was no thought given to the alternative."
Tonight's game is a final in everything but name because they must be considered the two best teams at this incredible tournament, one which has been set alight by the attacking play and success of the host nation, and the build-up has reflected that. The mind games from rival coaches Eddie Jones and Steve Hansen have come and gone — the claims and counter-claims of which coach and set of players is under the most pressure now nothing more than an entertaining memory.
The week has been richer for the to-and-fro between the two big personalities and good friends but the talk of spies filming trainings and pressure chasing teams down the street will count for very little once the first whistle blows in front of a crowd of 72,000 and television audience of many millions.
"It's going to be a great contest isn't it?" Jones said. "Two heavyweights — one dressed in black, one dressed in white — you couldn't think of a better scenario."
- Additional reporting: Luke Kirkness