If the All Blacks wanted to, they could reveal now their likely starting XV and game strategy for every match they could possibly play through to the end of the World Cup.
Such is the meticulous preparation they have put into defending their world crown.
After their final pool game against Tonga on Friday, the All Blacks will play the loser of Sunday’s Pool D showdown between France and Ireland as they head into the sudden death phase of the tournament.
Assistant coach Ian Foster said every eventuality has been taken into account.
“We’ve got a plan with the ability to adapt,” he said Thursday, on the eve of their final Pool C match against Tonga, when asked whether the quarter-final side was already pencilled in.
Pressed on whether he could name the side now that would play France or Ireland, Foster said: “We’ve got a plan but we’ll take this Tongan game first and foremost.
“There’s a few things we obviously need to see out of this game going forward and we’ll make that decision on the weekend.”
Not only were the All Blacks not giving their selections away, they also were not tipping who they think the likely finalists are going to be.
If Ireland beat France in their crunch pool match that will leave the All Blacks with a sense of deja vu — playing France in a World Cup quarter-final at Millennium Stadium.
The last time that happened, when the All Blacks had again waltzed through a relatively easy pool, they found themselves ill-prepared to handle a fired up French and were knocked out in that first play-off game.
Backrower Kieran Read, who will lead the All Blacks in place of the injured Richie McCaw against Tonga, said he had no preference between France and Ireland for their first sudden-death encounter.
“We don’t mind. The team you’re going to face in the quarter-finals is potentially a team that could go all the way and win this World Cup,” he said.
“We’ve got to expect to play all the top nations if we want to win this thing and both of those two teams are pretty damn good sides.
“It’s going to be an exciting game when they play, and we’ll play who we have to play and prepare accordingly.”
Foster said the All Blacks would not waste time worrying about the outcome of the Ireland-France match.
“We’re just focussing and worrying about beating Tonga, playing well against them and whatever happens the following week will happen.
“We have spent energy looking at both of them but who we want to play, well we’ll wait and see.”