Patrick Tuipolotu (left), Aaron Cruden and Steven Luatua agree that fans’ support plays a vital role in the All Blacks’ success.

The last two tests have shown the highs and lows of All Blacks’ rugby. Paul Lewis talks to Aaron Cruden, Steven Luatua and Patrick Tuipolotu about expectations and pressure from fans from such polarising experiences.

Some time back in his tenure as All Black skipper, Tana Umaga was asked whether the All Blacks minded carrying so many public expectations every time they played. “No,” he shot back. “It helps us win.”

It seemed a good panel discussion topic to take up with three All Blacks, especially as they and filmmaker Taika Waititi will be engaged in a Rexona-inspired campaign entitled “Do More” – a call to arms to All Black fans to get behind their team during this championship and, especially, next year’s World Cup.

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Was Tana right? Do the All Blacks like the weight of expectations?

PT: That is one of the things that drives us. When we had that draw in Australia, it felt like a loss to our fans, and that’s pretty much what it felt like in camp too.

AC: When you do lose, there is that extreme disappointment – especially within the All Blacks, who are not accustomed to losing. The last five years or so, losses have been very few and far between and that’s something we are very proud of as a group. But with that comes a lot of expectation. I think the weight of those expectations is a good thing; it only creates a challenge and high standards which, as a team, we want to continue to uphold.

How did preparation for the two games against Australia differ? Coach Steve Hansen said he felt the prep in Sydney had been good.

AC: I thought the preparation for the game in Sydney was fantastic, but we were just missing something when it came to game time. The preparation in Auckland was outstanding – because of what happened inSydney, there was a lot more of an edge. There was that little bit of fear of losing, I guess, and we wanted to go out there and rectify that performance.

SL: I was on the bench for the [Auckland] game and up against the starting guys in preparation. You know the boys want to be up to par on Saturday because when you are carrying [the ball] and they tackle you, it hurts. There was an edge there, all right.

I once interviewed an Olympic rowing eight who could never quite express how they made the boat go fast and sing in the water; it just happened organically, mysteriously. Is it like that with the All Blacks?

SL: Sometimes, in training, passes are caught that are not meant to be caught – and sometimes it goes the same in a game; you just realise that things are going your way. It’s about control. You’ll get a guy charging into a tackle that would normally be set up for a ruck but he delivers an offload – and we are off again. Suddenly, you just feel that everyone is on the same page.

AC: A little bit. Sometimes you feel like you have done everything you can in your preparation and it doesn’t translate to the performance. Other times you get that feeling where everything is right, you wake up feeling good and know things will fall into place. It is hard to put a finger on it… but, when it all fits together, it is pretty impressive to watch.

What are you expecting from the Pumas tomorrow?

SL: There’ll be a big emphasis on the set piece. They pride themselves on their timing and togetherness in the scrums. We’ll need to do more [laughter]. There are some big boys in that team; I played alongside some of them in the Barbarians last year – they’re great men off the field.

AC: They really put pressure on the Boks at scrum time. Our boys can expect a good confrontational battle up front. If we look back at Australia at Eden Park, the forwards really laid the foundation and they won’t be sitting back and thinking that will happen again. The Argentinians always bring you a lot of physicality, pride and passion in the way they play the game – and we need to be wary because they also have in their backline some X-factor players with unpredictability and speed.

What about the Boks? You haven’t faced them yet but they seem to be having a difficult season so far in Super Rugby and the Championship.

PT: They are intimidating in their style; they like to be the bullies.

SL: The way they play is so straight up and down – either you move or they do. We are looking forward to that.

AC: They are an extremely proud rugby nation and they’ll be putting in the hard work before they meet us, wanting things to go better than they did against Argentina. The bodies are always sore after playing South Africa.

So, what do you think of All Blacks fans?

AC: I think we are really fortunate to have some of the best fans in the world. Most of them know the rules, follow the game closely and they are always passionate. They always want to see the All Blacks doing well and their favourite players doing well and, believe me, that helps. They are also not shy about telling you, good or bad.

PT: The All Blacks environment is a big change from Super Rugby. In Super Rugby, you can see empty seats but when it’s the All Blacks, there’s no empty seats. It’s heartwarming.

SL: Without our fans, we just wouldn’t be doing what we are doing [playing professionally]. It’s that simple. We don’t forget that.

Do what the fans do and say affect you; lift you?

PT: Yes, plenty. When you are on the field and you do something good and you hear the crowd go “Yeah”, man, that really stirs you.

SL: If, for example, someone makes a big hit and you hear the crowd roar, that definitely lifts you as a player.

How can the fans do more?

AC: I really enjoy the way the national anthems are being sung. When the whole crowd is into it, like last weekend, it’s a great thing and gives you a great entry into the haka. Plus, it’s always good when no one can hear me. I’m a terrible singer. I really like it when people put the black face paint or body paint on; that always comes across well.

PT: I don’t know they can do too much more; our fans are pretty intense and they already do heaps. From our point of view, we could do more in terms of our interaction with them. We already do a lot, but maybe we could do more.

SL: Even if the all Black fans do get vocal, we always know they mean well. They are passionate – and that’s how we like it. If they get stuck into us, we don’t take it to heart or take it personally; we know where it is coming from and why. There are some pretty good hecklers around.

What about negative fans or opposing fans?

SL: Last year in South Africa, there was a guy down near the sideline, dressed in a Boks jersey – and all he was doing, the whole game, was saying “Steven, Steven, Steven”. Then when it was lineout time, he’d yell at me, “This is the only one you have to catch; the only one. …”. He was one of the few I heard and probably only because he was so persistently trying to put me off.

AC: A lot of people comment on my size (1.78m, 83kg). When they meet me, particularly opposing fans, they say things like: ‘You are just a little, little boy compared to our men’. You laugh it off – literally, sometimes, as the things they say are often genuinely funny.

How can the media do more?

SL: Fewer stories about me not being fit enough.

PT: Some of the media always seem out to get us. Not everyone… just most of them [laughter]. I don’t think there’s that much the media need to do – just calm down and try not to target certain people.

AC: Positive stories are always good though we understand the media perspective; they are always trying to find different angles and publish different stories to one another. Sometimes it is hard, especially when there has been focus on certain individuals or a certain team; often it’s just one person [in the media] whose opinion gets broadcast and that kind of commentary can be quite fickle. It changes week to week. As long as the media are balanced and respectful in terms of stories and things they are publishing, players will have no problem returning that respect.