Ian Foster has vowed New Zealand will not be lost in praise at this Rugby World Cup in the way that sunk their 2019 campaign.
New Zealand edged out world number one side Ireland 28-24 in a stunning quarter-final clash in Paris last weekend.
Now the resurgent All Blacks will face Argentina in Friday night’s semi-final at the Stade de France. The All Blacks thumped Ireland 46-14 in the quarter-finals in Japan in 2019, only to be dismissed 19-7 by England in the last four in Yokohama.
New Zealand boss Foster admitted the All Blacks let the adulation go to their heads in Japan – and pledged nothing similar will happen four years on.
“The enormity of this week, you know there’s a bit at stake,” said Foster.
“You get people talking to you about tomorrow and trying to take your eyes off today. We went to one semi-final in 2015 where the opposition probably couldn’t have been bigger in our eyes.
“And in 2019 we probably didn’t stop being patted on the back after the quarter-final. Hence some of my language today: just keep it simple and worry about Friday.”
Mark Telea has returned to the All Blacks team for the semi-final, having missed the last-eight class due to a breach of team discipline. The powerful wing will bolster an All Blacks line-up also comprising the three Barrett brothers Beauden, Jordie and Scott.
“Mark’s done his time; like I said last week, he made a mistake, he accepted what was happening,” said Foster.
“But you don’t linger in that space. He’s been our form winger, we really have a lot of faith in him to play this game and deliver for us.
“It’s a chance for us to get Mark back on the park and I know he’s excited.”
New Zealand have been installed as overwhelming favourites to face Michael Cheika's Pumas, but All Blacks boss Foster insisted his side do not agree with that characterisation.
“You’ve never heard us say we’re favourites,” said Foster.
“We’re in a World Cup semi-final, we know that these games are do-or-die, they are finals. Whoever’s got to this stage has done that because they’ve beaten some really good teams and played really well.
“We're going to have to improve our performance, the stage gets bigger and you’ve got to grow your game, that’s our strong focus. We said it before the Irish game, it’s the best team on the night that wins it.
“We know Argentina have done that to us. We’re not buying into favourites or underdogs, it doesn’t make any difference to us. We're just focusing on our game.
“The past sets us up beautifully for both teams. We do know each other but we don’t know each other in terms of a Rugby World Cup.
“At this stage of a tournament it’s new territory for us. World Cups are very, very different. We’ve learned to greatly respect Argentina and what playing for their country means a lot.
“They are perhaps an underrated team worldwide, with a really rich history of perhaps overachieving at World Cups. They have done a fantastic job to get to the same level here as we are. So it’s going to be a cracking game.”
New Zealand team to face Argentina
Starting XV: B Barrett; W Jordan, R Ioane, J Barrett, M Telea; R Mo’unga, A Smith; E De Groot, C Taylor, T Lomax; S Whitelock, S Barrett; S Frizzell, S Cane (capt), A Savea.
Replacements: S Taukei’aho, T Williams, F Newell, B Retallick, D Papali’i, F Christie, D McKenzie, A Lienert-Brown.
