That said, there's no question the All Blacks will start favourites for the Webb Ellis Cup.
Their form since losing to France in the quarter-final at Cardiff four years ago has steadily got better, save a blip over the last month.
And it's those back-to-back defeats to South Africa and Australia - albeit in two away fixtures - which have put the twitch back into New Zealand fans' hopes of putting an end to a 24-year drought.
There were different reasons for the All Blacks' five failures to lift the cup. The 1991 team were a year past their best; in 1995 it was either a dose of poisoning in Johannesburg or losing to a Nelson Mandela-inspired South Africa on a day of remarkable emotions, or a bit of both.
Half an hour of French brilliance pulled down the 1999 side in the semifinal at Twickenham from cruising at 24-10 early in the second half - a game All Black hooker Anton Oliver described as leaving a feeling of having been "mugged"; ordinary team selections, plus a decent Australian side did it for them in 2003; while they lost their way against a spirited French side in the quarter-final in Cardiff four years ago.
Coach Graham Henry and his assistants, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, succeeded in getting a four-year extension, despite overseeing the All Blacks' worst World Cup result in 2007. Their reappointment was far from a universally-accepted decision.
That said, the All Blacks have since produced outstanding rugby, full of pace, skill and athleticism, with only the occasional blemish along the way.
They have quality in depth in most areas on the park, although there remain reservations over the back-up for the two key players; first five-eighths Dan Carter and openside champion and captain Richie McCaw.
Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith provide a midfield yin and yang, bustling, hard direct running allied to cool, organised thinking.
Further back the selectors have opted for five players to cover the back three positions, but only one, Zac Guildford, is a specialist winger.
Mils Muliaina, alongside McCaw, is poised on 98 test caps. No New Zealander has reached the century. But Muliaina faces a significant challenge in the vibrant young Israel Dagg; a player with Christian Cullenesque qualities. 'Nuff said.
The three halfbacks, Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan and Andy Ellis, have distinctly different qualities. That may come down to a horses-for-courses selection.
Kieran Read's torn ankle ligaments are a blow for a player playing terrific rugby and mean a late start to the cup. A Read/McCaw/Jerome Kaino axis takes some stopping.
The lineout should be solid, while the scrum, with Owen Franks, the muscular cornerstone at tighthead prop, looks capable of unsettling the best.
The All Blacks haven't lost at Eden Park for 17 years. Assuming they make the final, their three knockout games are all being staged there.
The omens are encouraging, but stop right there. After all, the lessons from history have been harsh.
Fixtures:
Pool A:
Friday September 9 v Tonga, Eden Park (Auckland)
Friday September 16 v Japan, Waikato Stadium (Hamilton)
Saturday September 24 v France, Eden Park (Auckland)
Saturday October 1 v Canada, Wellington Regional Stadium (Wellington)
