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Cape Town - All Black centre, Conrad Smith says that although the French are sometimes blatant in their displays of passion for rugby on the field of play, he feels the All Blacks have no need to display it publicly.
The French are known for their passionate approach to their game but Smith, a survivor of the disappointing loss to the French in RWC 2007, says that New Zealanders don’t have to 'create a song and dance’ about it.
"We can be passionate about something but we don't create a song and dance. I'm not saying the French do but they are a lot more extroverted with the way they show it and other countries are the same," Smith told New Zealand sports website, Sportal.
"We talk about it a little bit. We can be boiling inside and really motivated but we don't have to show it.
"As long as the passion is there, we hope it is there, and you can certainly notice it in the build-up. The way the whole country is going it does rub off on the players."
Smith said the expectation on the All Blacks to succeed in every game was something players learned to deal with.
"In a strange way you enjoy the challenge, that's why we're here," he said.
"We're the sort of players in one way or another we have come through a lot of hardships and that's taken different forms for each guy. If you don't enjoy the challenge you don't last long."
The French are known for their passionate approach to their game but Smith, a survivor of the disappointing loss to the French in RWC 2007, says that New Zealanders don’t have to 'create a song and dance’ about it.
"We can be passionate about something but we don't create a song and dance. I'm not saying the French do but they are a lot more extroverted with the way they show it and other countries are the same," Smith told New Zealand sports website, Sportal.
"We talk about it a little bit. We can be boiling inside and really motivated but we don't have to show it.
"As long as the passion is there, we hope it is there, and you can certainly notice it in the build-up. The way the whole country is going it does rub off on the players."
Smith said the expectation on the All Blacks to succeed in every game was something players learned to deal with.
"In a strange way you enjoy the challenge, that's why we're here," he said.
"We're the sort of players in one way or another we have come through a lot of hardships and that's taken different forms for each guy. If you don't enjoy the challenge you don't last long."
