The All Blacks held their own enthusiastic limited overs encounter in Buenos Aires overnight as they acclimate themselves to time zone ahead of their Rugby Championship opener next weekend against Los Pumas.
When asked what advice he'd give to his Black Caps equivalent Kane Williamson ahead of the actual Cricket World Cup final, All Blacks skipper Sam Cane's response was simple โ none.
"Kane's an unbelievable captain and doesn't need any tips for me."
"They should take heaps of confidence from that performance they had in the semi-final.
"Most of New Zealand has taken a lot of confidence from that game which is why we are so excited for it.
And like many of their fellow New Zealanders, the All Blacks are making an event out of watching the tournament decider at Lords.
"The plan is to be up at 6.30am for a breakfast headlined by bacon, eggs and pancakes then sit down and cheer the boys' home".
That collective keenness in the squad to view the proceedings has put one of the unsung members of the All Blacks management team under the pump.
"There's some real pressure on Chappy (assistant video analyst Hayden Chapman) to find the right link have it streaming live in the team room," Cane says with a cheeky grin.
In an interview with Martin Devlin on the Devlin Radio Show yesterday, Hansen said losing to England in the group stages puts the Black Caps at an advantage in today's final.
"The advantage is held by the team that loses because I think mentally it's very hard not to subconsciously think, 'Well, we've beaten these guys before', so you soften yourself a little bit, subconsciously, it's not a deliberate thing."
England's Ben Stokes on strike in the side's group stages games against Australia, a game the English lost. Photo / Getty Images
It had already occurred in this tournament.
"England played Australia [in the group stages] and Australia thumped them. So, you start getting a little bit ahead of yourself and start thinking about stuff you shouldn't."
Playing before a hometown crowd at Lord's would add to the pressure against England, Hansen said.
"If you're not used to that kind of pressure it can overwhelm you. So probably [it's] advantage to New Zealand, because no one is expecting them to win in England ... it takes all the pressure off you.
"He was humble and showed a lot of kudos to the Black Caps. But he made a pertinent point that 'we've played outstanding cricket in this tournament, apart from 45 minutes, and that's the reason why we're not going' ... and that's sport.
"If you're in a knock-out tournament, as [the All Blacks] found out in 2007, if you don't get it right in the 80 minutes, for us, and the 42 minutes, for the Indians, then you go home."
All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen believes the Black Caps can win the Cricket World Cup final tomorrow. Photo / File
"You look at Guppy [Martin Guptill]. He hasn't had the greatest tournament with the bat, but one of the reasons we're in the final is because he didn't lose himself. He stayed confident ... he was able to go out there and field like he did [ running Indian dangerman MS Dhoni out].
The Black Caps celebrate Martin Guptill's key run out of MS Dhoni in the semi-final against India. Photo / Photosport
"He's now got to take that belief and confidence into his batting."
