1. Sweep the sheds
Before leaving the dressing room at the end of the game, some of the most famous names in world rugby - including Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Mils Muliaina - stop and tidy up after themselves. They literally and figuratively 'sweep the sheds'.
Former All Black Andrew Mehrtens describes it as personal humility, a cardinal All Blacks value.
Though it might seem strange for a team of imperious dominance, humility is core to the culture.
2. Follow the spearhead
In Maori, whanau, the 'extended family', is symbolised by the spearhead.
Though it has three tips, to be effective all of its force must move in one direction. Hence the All Blacks mantra 'No Dickheads', a term stolen from the Sydney Swans.
The All Blacks select on character as well as talent. Some of New Zealand's most promising players never pull on the black jersey - considered dickheads, their inclusion would be detrimental to the whanau.
3. Champions do extra
Former All Black Brad Thorn's mantra, 'Champions Do Extra', helped him become one of the most successful players in rugby history.
The philosophy simply means finding incremental ways to do more - in the gym, on the field, or for the team. It is much like the philosophy of marginal gains used by cycling's Team Sky.
A focus on continual improvement, the creation of a continual learning environment, and a willingness to spill blood for the jersey was at the core of All Black culture.
4. Keep a blue head
After the 2003 World Cup, the All Blacks worked with forensic psychiatrist Ceri Evans to understand how the brain works under pressure.
"Red Head" is an unresourceful state in which you are off-task, panicked and ineffective. "Blue Head" is an optimal state in which you are on task and performing to your best ability.
The All Blacks use triggers to switch from Red to Blue. Richie McCaw stamps his feet, while Kieran Read stares at the farthest point of the stadium, searching for the bigger picture.
5. Leave the jersey in a better place
The All Blacks have long had a saying: "leave the jersey in a better place". Their task is to represent all who have come before them - from George Nepia to Colin Meads, Michael Jones to Jonah Lomu, and all those who follow.
An All Black is, by definition, a role model to schoolchildren across New Zealand. This creates a compelling sense of higher purpose: if we play a bigger game, we play a more effective game.
Better people make better All Blacks - but they also make better doctors and lawyers, bankers and businessmen, fathers, brothers, and friends.
