KEY POINTS:
The observation came from former Wallaby captain Phil Kearns without any hint of rancour or sarcasm.
"You can go to the end of time," he said, "the last World Cup in the history of mankind and the All Blacks will be favourite for it."
It was a compliment to the All Blacks pedigree, a bloodline of rugby passion and excellence which has produced an extraordinary 74 per cent success rate since the side's first international.
And so it is as the sixth global tournament starts in France.
Results since England won the last World Cup dictate that most pundits have to choose the All Blacks as the side to beat.
No guarantees in such a cut-throat format but New Zealand will start favourite. They have a squad chockful of talent, who have won consistently, been given every benefit of preparation and, according to the coaching and conditioning staff, are primed to do the business.
The unknown, of course, is whether the All Blacks can translate that fancy into triumph.
Since late last year, this squad has been calibrated for this tournament.
The New Zealand Rugby Union, in making a tournament triumph their priority, has allowed coach Graham Henry a free hand on the rugby landscape.
Players were conditioned, brought up to match fitness, allowed plenty of downtime with their family and friends - all the planning had been done to schedules which the armed forces would envy while Henry, a normally cautious character, allowed himself to feel satisfied with all the groundwork.
"I am feeling very good about this," he said before the team's departure.
"We have done everything to ensure they are in the best possible nick. One or two things were disappointing, like injuries, but that is the only negative."
Similar sentiments came from assistant coach Steve Hansen who has had his moments in the past four years, firstly in sorting the scrum then dealing with some repeat lineout uncertainties.
"You always want things to be better but the boys are in a good space physically and mentally.
"We have won the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup, our game is not perfect but it is in pretty good shape."
Concerns about the lack of quality games for the All Blacks in their pool were batted away.
It was pointless, the coaches said, chirping about a draw they could not change.
They could use their squad to replicate tough matches and it was better to arrive at the playoffs without being mentally drained from the sort of strain Ireland, Argentina and France will suffer in trying to qualify from their section.
If a side need a handful of great players to give the World Cup a real shake, then the All Blacks are a big contender.
They are blessed with the skills and counter-attack of fullback Mils Muliaina, the artistry, goalkicking and aplomb of first five-eighths Daniel Carter while there is not a great deal of gap to the rest of the backs.
Flanker and captain Richie McCaw is mentioned in the same context as the peerless Michael Jones, blindsider Jerry Collins has expanded his defensive game, while Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock are the envy of the propping world.
In championing the virtues of selection rotation, the coaches have given themselves some pretty strong alternatives should any of the frontliners get dinged.
The concerns are whether lock Keith Robinson and prop Greg Somerville last the distance after their repeated injuries this year and whether the pool matches will have the side at the right pitch from the quarter-final.
Should either the mercurial McCaw or Carter be wounded, that might be enough as well to tip the balance for a rival side.
Weaknesses? Not many compared with other international sides and if Stirling Mortlock could be chosen at centre, you would feel much more convinced the All Blacks would bring home the Webb Ellis Cup after the 20-year hiatus.
Midfield is an issue, halfback could be too as Byron Kelleher can be robotic about his play while Brendon Leonard is rising fast but is inexperienced and Andrew Ellis has been quiet all year.
We have been advised the lineout woes have been sorted, the first half against the Wallabies at Eden Park offers another viewpoint and a repeat of that against one of the major sides could be fatal.
And, just sometimes, the All Blacks look lost. Throughout the Tri-Nations it was disconcerting to hear they had to be told to alter their plans at halftime, that sort of indecision does bring a certain tremble.
And in explaining regular player switches, coach Henry has spoken about teams struggling to front up for three tests in succession.
It makes you wonder how he will then juggle the playoff selections if the All Blacks make it all the way.
The unknown is how individuals will react to the greatest pressures they have been exposed to in rugby, how they will cope with two months away from home, whether they can keep their minds in the icebox while their bodies are in the furnace.
