Few are giving New Zealand much of a chance at any points in South Africa, let alone advancing out of Group F. But coach Ricki Herbert has stressed that cohesion could carry the Kiwis.
New Zealand have been preaching one simple message about the World Cup—they are not going just to make up the numbers in Group F against champions Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay.
Securing their first point from a World Cup finals match would be a major boost for the team and the sport in rugby-mad New Zealand, though coach Ricki Herbert has indicated that may not be enough.
When appointed to the job in 2005, Herbert realised that one of the scattered team’s major problems had been the lack of time spent together. The majority of the overseas-based players also see little game time, or play in lower leagues.
So Herbert embarked on a long-term plan to build a core squad of players and tried to play them as many times as possible.
The plan seems to have worked.
While four years ago games against fellow Oceania nations could be a struggle, the All Whites gave Italy a fright in a friendly last year before losing 4-3 and they were beaten 2-0 by Mexico in March.
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