All Blacks: Hansen happy with 'toughest' tag

Head coach Steve Hansen was clear to make the point that the All Blacks are not going to England to defend the World Cup. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The All Blacks have convinced themselves the 2015 Rugby World Cup will be harder to win than any other in history.

They haven't offered any particular reason why but that hardly matters. What matters is that they believe it and that their thinking has been altered to reflect that.

Early in squad announcement proceedings, head coach Steve Hansen was clear to make the point that the All Blacks are not going to England to defend the World Cup.

Just as he didn't like the idea that the All Blacks were going to Twickenham in 2013 to seek revenge for the defeat they suffered there in 2012, he's not keen on the idea that his side has any kind of proprietorial claim to the World Cup.

"There is not an expectation that we should win it by right," Hansen said. "We're not going to defend the World Cup because it's not ours to defend."

Buried in this is some of the lessons of 2007. Every part of that failed campaign has been picked apart but Hansen is happy enough dumping the blame on just one mistake. He felt that the All Blacks, having been so dominant in the preceding 12 months, turned up in France expecting to win.

They weren't hungry enough; they weren't urgent or desperate and after cruising through a soft pool, they came horribly unstuck when they met their first real challenge.

He, in conjunction with captain Richie McCaw, won't make that mistake again - hence he's quite happy for everyone to believe this will indeed be the hardest World Cup to win.

That sort of thinking won't do the All Blacks any harm. They simply can't afford to see things any other way, says McCaw.

"Without a doubt and if we go there thinking it won't be we're kidding ourselves, but someone has to win it," he said. "We've got to have some confidence, we've got some top men but realise that we need to get everything right from this point onwards so we give ourselves a crack."

One of those things they plan to get right is to be ruthless right through the pool round and ignore the respective world rankings of their opponents.

As part of the sense of entitlement that dogged the 2007 campaign, the attitude in the pool rounds edged too close to festival. It was all a bit of a giggle running riot against Italy, Romania and Portugal and the All Blacks were slow to adjust mentally to the different reality of knockout rugby.

This time around, they are going to be in ruthless mode from the first game and won't let up until they are either knocked out or crowned champions.

"We're guaranteed four games," said McCaw. "We've got to get that dead right and then you go week-by-week. Winning a World Cup should be tough but that brings out the best in you. That's where you want to be as a rugby player. You want it tough. That's what makes it worthwhile. That's what we're expecting."