This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
The All Blacks are gearing up for their World Cup Pool B clash against Canada in Oita, with the team's coaching staff emphasizing the importance of building on their game.
Having beaten South Africa in their first match, New Zealand is expected to win the pool and has planned to use the matches against Canada, Namibia, and Italy to refine their game.
Assistant coach Ian Foster noted that the team needs to continue building combinations and learning about the conditions, which have influenced some of the games due to humidity.
He added that the Canada match provides an opportunity for the team to grow, but it's also a test match, and they want to achieve a result and a performance they desire.
Lock Sam Whitelock emphasized that the team should treat the game like another test match and show respect to any side, as there is no such thing as tier one or tier two teams.
With a short turnaround after the Canada game, the All Blacks will have to travel to Tokyo for their clash with Namibia on Sunday, and coach Steve Hansen has recognized the need to juggle team selections.
He made 11 changes from the starting side that beat South Africa on September 21, and one player he will take note of is winger Rieko Ioane, who was dropped for the Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland in August.
Ioane has scored 23 tries in 26 tests and was the World Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2017, and Hansen is convinced that he can return to form against Canada.
