All Blacks: Right head space for Cup

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has led his team through some close calls, but they have the mental fortitude to rise above the pressure. Photo / Brett Phibbs

All Blacks have mental toughness in spades and a never-say-die attitude to boot.

Exactly one year out from the start of their World Cup defence in England and Wales, a tournament which, if the last is any indication, will test them to the absolute fullest, the All Blacks are in excellent mental shape.

Selector Grant Fox, launching the milestone at Eden Park yesterday from a spot adjacent to where prop Tony Woodcock scored the only All Blacks' try of the unbearably tight 2011 final victory over France, believes Steve Hansen's men are heading in the right direction.

However, he is wary of appearing too satisfied, despite the team's skill at winning (or, at least not losing) tight tests, seen most recently in the 14-10 victory over the Springboks in Wellington, but a knack notable since November last year.

Of the All Blacks' past 10 tests, only three have been straightforward wins - the big one over England in Hamilton in June which was set up by a big first half, the thrashing of Australia at Eden Park last month, and the fairly comprehensive victory over Argentina in Napier a week later.

The All Blacks drew in Sydney a week before the demolition in Auckland, but had to hold out an Australian team who had a one-player advantage for 20 minutes after the sinbinnings of Wyatt Crockett and Beauden Barrett.

In the world of test rugby, where the margins between teams are smaller than ever, the closeness of the contests must be considered the norm, rather than any failure on the All Blacks' part. To more often that not finish on the right side of the ledger, seen most dramatically against Ireland in Dublin last year when Ryan Crotty scored a converted try after the final siren, is a valuable gift with a World Cup rapidly approaching.

Former All Blacks first-five Fox believes the improvements in the team's mental strength stemmed from the 2007 World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in Cardiff.

"We've been tracking that way for a little while," he said. "You don't have to go too far back where we were on the wrong end of those tight games. We weren't finding ways to win. This group is. The pain of 2007 is part of that, that was a big learning curve. A lot of work has been done on the mental side of the game to give these guys coping mechanisms to cope with the stress and the pressure that you get in those games.

"We're finding ways to win games where at times you think 'how did we do that, we shouldn't have done that', and we've got out of it. That's what you need to win Rugby World Cups. I think we saw that in the final in 2011, we found a way to win a game ... when in the second half the better team was the one in blue rather than in black and yet we still won it.

"The mental fortitude comes not by accident. It comes by a lot of work in that area. Gilbert Enoka does a lot of work in the group and the leadership of the team is just superb. The senior guys we've got just lead these guys outstandingly."

Coach Hansen said the day after the All Blacks edged the Boks at Westpac Stadium that it was a skill that could be improved by experience.

"The more you do it and experience it, the more you're able to do it," he said. "You understand that 'okay we just keep working, stay in process'."

Close calls - the All Blacks' past 10 tests
26-19 v France in Paris, Nov 10, 2013
30-22 v England in London, Nov 17
24-22 v Ireland in Dublin, Nov 25
20-15 v England in Auckland, June 7, 2014
28-27 v England in Dunedin, June 14
36-13 v England in Hamilton, June 21
12-12 v Australia in Sydney, Aug 16
51-20 v Australia in Auckland, Aug 23
28-9 v Argentina in Napier, Sept 6
14-10 v South Africa in Wellington, Sept 13

All Blacks' Rugby World Cup draw
Sept 20 - vs Argentina (Wembley)
Sept 24 - vs Namibia (Olympic Stadium)
Oct 2 - vs Georgia (Millennium Stadium)
Oct 8 - vs Tonga (St James' Park)