Few people think New Zealand can win a fourth World Cup in France this year, but that should help their title hopes, according to head coach Ian Foster.
The All Blacks are coming off a difficult season, having lost a first home series to Ireland and a first defeat to Argentina on home soil in 2022.
That has tested home fans' faith in their World Cup hopes, though bookmakers rate the All Blacks second behind hosts France to win it.
Asked by New Zealand media whether his team could win a record fourth World Cup, Foster said: "Absolutely.
"The good thing is not too many other people think we can," he added.
"That's a slightly unusual space to be in as All Blacks. It doesn’t change our belief.
"But belief is only one thing: you’ve got to put it to work. We’ve got a job to do, and can’t wait to start."
Foster named a 36-man squad on Sunday for the abridged Rugby Championship which starts on 8 July, with the All Blacks to face Argentina in Mendoza.
Defending champions New Zealand have not won the southern hemisphere competition in a World Cup year since 2007 when it was known as the Tri-Nations and Argentina had yet to join.
However, New Zealand ended up winning back-to-back World Cups in 2011 and 2015, so the lead-up Rugby Championship has not proved a reliable form guide for the global showpiece.
"Last year we had a bit of adversity, we got tight, and we’re actually craving as many big games as we can get at the moment," said Foster.
"We want to go in fully loaded to this Rugby Championship. I think it’s important for us to get back up to speed really quickly, and get our game right."
Foster included five uncapped players in his squad while a host of regular All Blacks recover from injuries including flanker Ethan Blackadder, centre David Havili and prop George Bower.
He will hope for no further casualties when the Chiefs meet defending champions Crusaders in an all-New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific final on Saturday.
The All Blacks are drawn with France, Italy, Uruguay and Namibia in Pool A at the World Cup, which gets underway in September.
Foster said his squad had ample experience to win a World Cup but the new faces would help freshen up their "formula".
"The good thing is we haven’t gone out looking to bring in a whole lot of new players – they’ve banged on the door," he added.
The outgoing New Zealand coach also named a 30-strong All Blacks XV squad for a pair of non-Test games against Japan next month.
Kildare native Oli Jager (above) has been included in the development side - which is New Zealand's equivalent of Ireland A - for the two-game tour, as he looks to make a late bid for a full All Blacks call-up.
While the 27-year-old Crusaders prop wouldn't receive a Test cap for the All Blacks XV, it would see tied to New Zealand in accordance with World Rugby Regulation 8.2, and thus make him no longer eligible to represent Ireland for the foreseeable future.
Jager had previously been due to tour the northern hemisphere with the effective New Zealand A squad in 2022 before injury ruled him out of the games against Ireland A and the Barbarians.
The Chiefs' Munster-bound centre Alex Nankivell has also been included in the touring squad for the games in Japan on 8 July and 15 July.
Additional reporting: Reuters
