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CARDIFF - The All Blacks are ready to play rugby's equivalent of an ace up the sleeve.
There is a belief among the players who were involved in the early-season conditioning programme that they will be physically primed for Sunday's (NZT) World Cup quarterfinal against France here after a season dominated as much by time in the gym as on the field.
Many have even spoken of feeling fitter as the tournament itself has progressed.
About two weeks after arriving in France, lock Ali Williams said his fitness levels were at about 70 per cent of full capacity.
The extra 30 per cent seems to have come with a rush.
"Hopefully by Saturday I'll be 100 per cent," he said.
"It's now or never really, isn't it? Otherwise it's a long flight home."
Only two players in the starting 15 at Millennium Stadium did not undergo the specialist conditioning work from January to March which saw 22 leading players removed for the first half of the Super 14.
Coach Graham Henry's ploy has had its fair share of critics, who will be closely monitoring the comparative fitness of the players this weekend and, possibly, over the remaining fortnight of the tournament.
Loose forward Jerry Collins said the value of the conditioning work could probably never be proven.
"If we win then the buildup was right, if we lose then the buildup was wrong," he smiled.
"We're feeling really good, training's gone really well this week.
"We've just got to put the best 80 minutes of the World Cup so far for us on the track."
The question over whether New Zealand have had enough hard rugby through pool play has reached a crescendo this week.
However, No 8 Rodney So'oialo believed it would make little difference to the team's overall performance.
More important now were the benefits of relatively light season, which had left the players fit and fizzing.
"Professional rugby players aren't getting any smaller, they aren't getting any slower so you've got to try to stay with the times," So'oialo said.
"Our management have looked at that really well and I feel the benefits of being able to last this long."
Feeling physically better was helping So'oialo enjoy the game more.
"The conditioning window allowed me to work on certain areas that I probably needed to work on. I needed to improve certain parts of my body.
"I definitely feel a little bit stronger as well."
- NZPA
