It was a scorching 34 degrees in Lyon today.
Embracing the heat, the All Blacks continued their preparations for the Rugby World Cup opener against old rivals France.
But once again, there was one key player not taking part - Jordie Barrett is nursing 'a niggle in his left knee’ according to defence coach Scott McLeod.
It puts a question mark over the star prior to Ian Foster's first team announcement of the tournament set for 3.30am NZ time.
Possible dagger for the All Blacks. Jordie Barrett has again not trained, second day in a row he’s missed as he nurses a knee injury. Touch and go whether he’s available for their opening game against France @NewshubNZ @NewshubSport
— Ollie Ritchie (@OllieRitchie1) September 4, 2023
There are many good reasons why such importance is being placed on the first game of the World Cup.
Yes, it's the opener between the All Blacks and host nation France, and the atmosphere is set to be electric. But the worrying thing for some is the fact that New Zealand haven't had the opportunity to face those 2021 demons, when France put the sword to the black jersey with a 40-25 victory at Stade de France.
"That hurt and we've held onto that a little bit - we see similarity in the way they play, particularly in structure and the way they want to use the ball, and we can't switch off at any stage," McLeod said.
"However, I think they've added to their game in terms of kicking to space. So, they've added more of a threat."
All Blacks, France and World Cup demons seem to go hand-in-hand - the memories of the 1999 semifinal still burn brightly.
McLeod, plus halfback Finlay Christie and midfielder David Havili fielded questions from the predominately New Zealand rugby media following that scorching training session.
Safe to say, ice baths sound like a popular option amongst the players and coaches alike.
Watch the video below:
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