All Blacks: Big guns front on shootout for Rugby World Cup

All Black Conrad Smith. Photo / Simon Baker

The All Blacks are in the business of frontfooting every issue about their Rugby World Cup shootout with France. At least they are giving that impression.

Absolute favouritism, Aaron Cruden's test career infancy, French hoodoos - the subjects were all put in the whisk and given responses.

It may be coincidence or a public relations tactic but using Graham Henry, Brad Thorn, Wayne Smith, Conrad Smith and Andrew Hore was a heavyweight body of opinion to start the first few days of the week.

"There are stories lurking behind every game," Conrad Smith said.

"What's been good is we have confronted those issues and we will confront those again and talk about the fact that France have caused us problems and how we don't want that to happen."

The All Blacks needed to build their practice and match plans slowly through the week after digesting the World Cup final strategies set down by their coaching crew.

Their test and tournament record counted for little, he said. The All Blacks knew that from previous World Cups and to avoid those pits of despair they had to be "right on the money" on Sunday against France.

"The French, they will have it easy for them," Smith added.

"Everyone will be writing them off, they will be told the stats they are paying and when you are told that as an athlete your motivation is done."

The Tricolors had ability throughout their side and had the All Blacks on edge.

"You prepare well because there is the element of fear about what they are going to bring out. There was certainly that last week with the Australians and the way they had beaten us the last time they played us," Smith said.

It was a little different with France but when you watched their players, they had ability throughout the team to inflict plenty of damage when they had the ball. So there was plenty for the All Blacks to think about this week.

The All Blacks are paying about $1.08 to win the World Cup final but Smith said that was irrelevant especially as they were at those sorts of odds in the last tournament.

"We have already talked about how good a feeling it was after last week and it will count for nothing and no one will remember that if we don't do the business this weekend, and we don't want that," he said.

"We were proud of the way we played last weekend and we want to have that feeling again.

"We have to start again and it starts today, this is the first time we have all been together since that game and we have just got to build up and do the business."