Over the years, the All Blacks have made it relatively easy for the neutral to stay that way — especially in the UK where historic grievances never seem to expire.
It was virtually in the dark ages, but Colin Meads is still the thug who was sent off at Murrayfield for booting someone's head.
John Ashworth's vicious attack on JPR Williams will never be forgiven in Bridgend and Andrew Hore didn't help Kiwi-Welsh relations when he clocked Bradley Davies off the ball in 2012, knocking the lock unconscious.
The impression the All Blacks have left over the years in these parts is that they are soul-less, a team without empathy for whom the end will always justify the means.
The All Blacks want to shift perception and see if they can re-invent themselves as a team to love.
Head coach Steve Hansen has seen that at World Cups, sometimes the smallest detail — however intangible it may at first appear — can make a huge difference.
And maybe being popular is not such a small detail. The Wallabies benefited from having neutral support in 1991.
While the All Blacks scowled and stomped their way to the semis with all the class of a motorway service station, the Wallabies smiled, shook hands, engaged with their hosts and were the better side for it.
This All Black side don't want to repeat that mistake. They want to win new friends and influence them.
They perhaps see the opportunity to play the role England have turned their back on. This is England's World Cup - their chance to take the national team out of London, win new followers in areas where football rules and unite 50 million people behind one cause.
Instead, though, they will be bunkered at their normal base at Penny Hill and play all but one of their games — regardless of how far they progress — at Twickenham.
Understandably nervous about being in the pool of death, England may well already have a siege mentality. Connecting with their support base is not necessarily a priority and who knows, could vast swathes of England start feeling some warmth for an All Black squad that has arrived in good spirits, all smiles, laughs and compliments for their hosts?
Could the English finally learn to like an All Black side that is going to travel the length and breadth of the country in the next few weeks and give the impression they are here to enjoy themselves as much as they are here to win?
What happens on the field could be more significant in helping the All Blacks win over non-partisan spectators. They have come to England to play attacking rugby.
Pass and catch has worked pretty well so far and is the default game plan. How much genuine attacking intent the other teams have is questionable and the All Blacks could stand alone at this tournament as the rugby romantics' only choice.
As Hansen explained about the squad that's been picked: "When we named the team one thing we said as a group of selectors was that we felt we had a mixture of experience and young talent.
"The experience we have is in form and we have some real x-factors who are a bit younger."
Open and gregarious off the field; skilled and expansive on it ... what's not to like? The All Blacks could be the perfect package — great entertainers wherever they go.
While England remain in the tournament, it won't make a huge difference. The English will be for England.
But what if England are knocked out? The locals will have to adopt a second team: they can't go to Twickenham and stay mute.
Given their reception the last time they played in London it's hard to believe Twickenham could be turned into a temporary All Black fortress.
Hard, but not impossible and maybe by the end of the pool rounds, not even improbable.
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