Tuesday 29 September 2015 17:16, UK
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw believes his side are fully focused on retaining the World Cup but says there is no room for complacency.
New Zealand won the tournament four years ago after a string of knockout stage heartbreaks and McCaw believes that those experiences will help them to ensure they are not in the same position again in 2015.
He said: "I think we have got to use some experiences from that time, both good and bad from the last couple that a few of us have been involved in and realise that you've got to throw absolutely everything in to the game and get ahead and not get too far ahead of yourself.
"When it gets to knockout time, quarter final, you've got no thought about anything else but that week and if you're good enough you get another chance but you start talking about a three week block or even getting out the pool phase at first that's when you get a bit carried away."
Since the introduction of the world ranking system in October 2003 New Zealand have cemented themselves as a regular at the top of the table.
However, the All Blacks failed to transfer this consistency onto the World Cup stage, drawing large-scale criticism over their ability to time their run to form, something McCaw believes is only looked upon at the close of a campaign.
"I think at the end of it you'll look back and that's the key," said McCaw. "But you don't go in there trying to save yourself either, you've got to go and put in a good weeks prep next time and try and play your best. So you don't try and time it you just want to play better and better and if at the end of it you look back and say we got that right, well then that's probably what you say."
McCaw's men started their campaign with a hard-fought 26-16 win over Argentina before seeing off Namibia 58-14 at the Olympic Stadium.
However, the most-capped test player of all time says that his side must keep improving if they are to achieve back-to-back World Cups.
McCaw said: "That's the thing first of all you want to get the couple of wins. I think we are realistic that we have still got to keep improving because that's what the nature of this tournament is. If you're going to keep progression you've got to get better and better. We are a reasonably healthy squad and two wins under the belt so happy enough."
