Rugby World Cup: All Blacks coach cracks training whip

All Blacks tight forwards, from left, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Ben Franks, push hard in training. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The All Blacks are training as hard as they have under coach Steve Hansen to attempt to prevent a recurrence of their nightmare quarter-final defeat in 2007.

Hansen revealed yesterday that one of their lessons from the defeat to France in Cardiff was that they didn't work hard enough off the field. Another was inconsistency of selection.

Eight years ago, they led France 13-3 at halftime only to capitulate 20-18 after their Rugby World Cup nemeses got a foothold on the game.

The areas the coaches have concentrated on for the All Blacks' title defence are consistency of selection, a game plan in which they have contrived to put pressure on themselves against Namibia and Georgia, and some gruelling training sessions to take advantage of the two eight-day breaks between matches.

Their match against Tonga in Newcastle is their final pool game before they return to Wales to face France or Ireland in their quarter-final.

"In '07, I think we had 12 changes between the third and fourth rounds so that's one thing we're not doing," said Hansen, who was an assistant to head coach Graham Henry eight years ago.

"I don't think we worked hard enough during those weeks. The last two weeks, we've had eight-day turnarounds, so that's allowed us to train harder.

"With the group we've got, we've got some of the best opposition in the world to train against - so that's what we've done.

"We've worked incredibly hard on the training pitch," Hansen said. "That may not have been reflected in the quality of performance that everyone expects from us but it's more a reflection of how hard we've been working off it [field] - probably harder than we've ever worked before as a team in the four years that I can recall.

"So, physically, we'll be ready, I've no doubt about that."

All Blacks first-five Dan Carter yesterday called the past three weeks intense.

"Obviously the coaches have got a reason for doing that and I'm sure the workload will lighten off - it has already this week - and I'm sure it will next week as well," Carter said. "It's part of the strategy - we've tried a few things, some have worked and some haven't, but we're still pretty happy.

"We knew there was a chance to push the boundaries a little bit in terms of a bit more of a running load and physical load. That was a part of it. We knew what we were in for before we jumped on the plane to come over here.

"We've got through that now and I'm sure it's going to work in our favour over the next week or two."

Carter, 33, who will play his 109th test at St James' Park, said his body had held up well to his two matches, against Argentina and Georgia, plus the physical training sessions, adding he couldn't help but feel frustrated by his kicking display against the Georgians at the Millennium Stadium.

Carter kicked four from seven - his misses all sideline conversion attempts.

"The thing is I've been kicking so well in training and then to have a couple of misses like that is frustrating. There were a couple of old habits that crept in for those kicks."