KEY POINTS:
This will be the best prepared All Black challenge for the World Cup - but I'm no more confident of victory than I was at the start of the last few campaigns.
I guess that's because of what happened in '91, '95, '99 and '03. Each year the nation revved up in a "here we go" mood, only to find the All Blacks fell short for all sorts of reasons.
In 1987, we were a couple of steps ahead of the other countries when we won the inaugural Webb Ellis Cup, but Graham Henry has left no stone unturned in his mission to make his team the second New Zealand champions.
I hope in the course of their preparation that Henry and his fellow selectors - Wayne Smith, Steve Hansen and Sir Brian Lochore - took time out for a chat with Robbie Deans and John Mitchell.
They need to hear what pitfalls the 2003 team found in order to avoid them. They might have had nothing particularly significant to pass on, but it would still have been a worthwhile conversation.
My pick is that Lochore, our coach in 1987, will have an important role. His experience and his management skills are invaluable. He's a fine man who talks common sense and has old-fashioned values, and Henry's smart enough to get Lochore involved rather than just have him on the selection panel.
I'm certain that Lochore would strongly advocate the players getting out and about and enjoying the experience. There's nothing worse than closeting yourself away, which develops an 'us vs the rest' mentality.
In 1987 we had a rule. We trained in the morning and no one was allowed to duck off for a sleep in the afternoon. We had to get out and do something, which helped keep the mind and body fresh.
My one piece of advice to these All Blacks is enjoy it. Win or lose, they should treat the World Cup as a highlight of their rugby lives.
Don't get fretful. They're on the other side of the world so shouldn't be bothered by what they might otherwise see in the New Zealand media.
We used to have the fear of losing as a great motivating force. I'm told this is now regarded as promoting negative vibes and is discouraged. That beats me. You must learn from past experiences.
As for the squad I have only two areas of concern - the backup for Richie McCaw at openside flanker, and at halfback.
What if McCaw gets injured? Let's face it, he's a marked man in a high-pressure position.
I have serious doubts over Chris Masoe's ability to do the No 7 job really effectively. He's not a natural.
Would we go back to Jerry Collins at No 8, Reuben Thorne at No 6 and Rodney So'oialo moving to No 7? I hope it doesn't come to that, especially when I've watched the fine form of Daniel Braid and Marty Holah, specialist opensiders, over the past few weeks.
I'm still puzzled over Piri Weepu's dumping from the squad.
I watched Kevin Senio turn in an excellent performance at halfback for Canterbury when they lifted the Ranfurly Shield off Waikato last weekend; noticeably better than anything I've seen from Andrew Ellis.
I've got no particular issue with who they put at No 12 and centre. Okay, we might be a bit thin at centre but look around the other top countries. The All Blacks are still in pretty good shape by comparison.
These are relatively minor quibbles and in this respect we must bow to Henry. He's done very little wrong over four years, which now boils down to six weeks - and indeed really comes down to winning three big games in successive weekends.
Opponents will target the All Black lineout as a weakness. There's a simple solution: throw to the front, make sure you win the ball and drive it, and forget tossing marginal balls to the back of the lineout. The scrum will be a strength, with Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock the best props around.
In his quiet, private moments I suspect Henry would look at South Africa as his biggest worry. They don't fear the All Blacks, they have won three of nine tests against them under Henry, will defend furiously and are big, hard men; mentally resilient and backed by quick outside backs with an eye for tries against the run of play.
Henry will also be conscious of what France might produce in their own backyard, despite a dismal recent record against the All Blacks.
A key to winning the cup? Maintain consistency and look to build each week.
Think back to the last two tournaments. The All Blacks played their best game in their second pool game against England in 1999, and in the quarter-final against South Africa four years ago.
I don't subscribe to the chokers argument. Sometimes it's just the way it works out. But they must ensure each game in France is a step up.
You won't hear me shouting from the rooftops that the All Blacks will win the cup. But if they play smart rugby, capitalise on their preparation, avoid complacency and enjoy the cup experience they will have given themselves every chance.
* John Drake's penultimate All Black test was in 1987, when New Zealand won the World Cup final 29-9 against France.
