KEY POINTS:
MARSEILLE - Failing to keep excitement in check has been a hallmark of the 2007 All Blacks and it's a deficiency they're keen to shed when their rugby World Cup campaign opens on Saturday.
Perhaps a reflection of how little rugby they have played this year, almost every
New Zealand player interviewed this week has spoken of their keenness to run on to Stade Velodrome for first pool C game against Italy.
While Italy can expect an onslaught, the danger for the All Blacks is that the energy gets channelled the wrong way.
That has been the case in several tests this year.
They paid for taking on too much in the June test series against France and were guilty of being too expansive in the Tri-Nations loss to Australia and the patchy defeat of South Africa in Christchurch.
Trying too much on attack has resulted in New Zealand making 102 handling errors so far this year, compared to their opponents' 54.
McCaw said the senior players had to play a key role in the leadup to all games over the next seven weeks, particularly when the hype is high.
"We've just got to make sure we put that excitement in the right direction to allow us to play well. That's the key this week," McCaw said.
"We've got to make sure we stay composed and not run around all over the show."
McCaw maintained his long-held belief that the combined experience of his team should have them gelling quickly after seven weeks since many of them last played.
"There's no real excuses any more, we've played a lot of rugby together so hopefully it won't take long to get back into the groove," he said.
"It won't happen perfectly straight away. There will be a wee bit of rust in the system, I guess, after not playing for a while but hopefully that won't be too much."
McCaw said a strong start was important for the sake of confidence and then ideally they would improve throughout the tournament.
"We don't want to go back in terms of performance any less than where we were in the Tri-Nations this year. We want to start there, if not better."
The player with perhaps the itchiest feet this week is Conrad Smith, who could potentially put an end to the long-standing debate over who wears the All Blacks' centre jersey if he can reproduce the form hinted at in a sporadic nine-test career.
Assistant coach Wayne Smith has staunchly backed the raw Isaia Toeava throughout this season but admitted it was pleasing to have Smith back for his first test start for nearly a year.
"He's done a hell of a lot of work, he's hungry and up to the challenge. Now it's his opportunity," Wayne Smith said.
"He's a very self-reliant individual, he doesn't take a lot of pushing. He uses his time wisely both in a rugby sense and outside the game.
"He was admitted to the bar, for example, during that time away (recovering from a hamstring injury). So he's got it pretty much together."
Conrad Smith made his test debut against Italy at Rome in 2004, along with Jimmy Cowan, Steven Bates and Saimone Taumoepeau, who have all dropped from the international frame.
- NZPA
