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New Zealand boss Ian Foster has warned his players \u201cnot to get softened\u201d by the acclaim which followed their thrilling World Cup win over Ireland ahead of a semi-final showdown with Argentina.<\/p>\n
The All Blacks booked a last-four spot by upsetting Andy Farrell\u2019s men with a pulsating 28-24 victory in Paris.<\/p>\n
New Zealand return to Stade de France on Friday evening and are red-hot favourites to progress to a final against either England or reigning champions South Africa.<\/p>\n
Head coach Foster feels \u201cbeing patted on the back\u201d following a statement last-eight victory over the Irish derailed the Kiwis in the 2019 tournament and is eager to avoid history repeating itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best way to recover is to refocus really quickly on what the next challenge is and not to listen too much to any praise you\u2019re given as a group for a performance,\u201d said Foster, who was assistant to Steve Hansen four years ago when New Zealand lost to England in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot to go down that path, not to get softened because everyone\u2019s patting you on the back saying you played well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not a good place to be as a team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the way the team has buckled down, we\u2019ve redefined the challenge for us as a group, we\u2019re not satisfied with where we are now and when you\u2019re clear about your goal for the week the recovery comes along pretty quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know that if we\u2019re not right on Friday night at Stade de France, it\u2019s going to be a sad old night and we don\u2019t want it to be like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get people talking to you about tomorrow and trying to take your eyes off today.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2019 we probably didn\u2019t stop being patted on the back after the quarter-final, hence some of my language today and we\u2019re just trying to dial this back, keep things simple and let\u2019s just worry about Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n
New Zealand\u2019s starting XV shows two changes, with wing Mark Telea and lock Sam Whitelock in for Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku and Brodie Retallick.<\/p>\n
Telea was dropped for last weekend\u2019s clash with Ireland due to a breach of team protocols.<\/p>\n
Foster says the 26-year-old, who has scored three tries in the tournament, has served his punishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the team we think is best for this week,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMark\u2019s done his time. He made a mistake, he accepted what was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you don\u2019t linger in that space. He\u2019s been our form winger through this tournament and we really have a lot of faith in him and believe he\u2019s in a good place to play this game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a chance for us to get Mark back on the park and I know he\u2019s excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Underdogs Argentina have won two of the past seven meetings between the nations, including a landmark first success on New Zealand soil \u2013 25-18 in Christchurch \u2013 in last year\u2019s Rugby Championship.<\/p>\n
Foster is braced for a \u201check of a game\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve never heard us say we\u2019re favourites,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know that these games are do-or-die.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the best team on the night that wins it. We know Argentina has done that to us. We\u2019re not buying into anything about favouritism or underdogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are perhaps an underrated team worldwide that has got a really rich history of perhaps overachieving at World Cups.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have done a fantastic job to get here at the same level as we are. It\u2019s going to be a heck of a game.\u201d<\/p>\n