Patrick Tuipulotu said Friday that he is determined not to become the first All Blacks captain to taste defeat against Japan but admitted it "plays in the back of your head".
Lock forward Tuipulotu will skipper the side for the first time on Saturday against Japan in Yokohama, with regular captain Scott Barrett not named in the matchday squad.
The All Blacks start as hot favourites to win before heading to Europe for tests on successive weekends against England, Ireland, France and Italy.
私たちのチーム ⏳
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 22, 2024
Here’s our team ✊🏼
Congratulations to Patrick Tuipulotu who will captain the All Blacks for the first time and Peter Lakai & Ruben Love who are in line to debut 👏#AllBlacks pic.twitter.com/uUhCuXeH8l
Tuipulotu is aware that Japan have the chance to pull off a historic upset but he believes his team have the right mindset to prevent that from happening.
"That often plays in the back of your head but as we say in camp, you're always preparing for the next test match," said the 31-year-old.
"Whether you've won or lost or drawn the previous test match, preparation should never change.
"The Japan team has never won against an All Blacks side and we certainly don't want to be the first team to let them have that scalp."
Tuipulotu heads an All Blacks team featuring a mix of youth and experience, with Sam Cane winning his 101st cap and Anton Lienert-Brown his 80th.
Tuipulotu said that his match preparations have been "not really different" from normal and that the players are "ready to go".
"I haven't had to change much other than having to lead a bit more in the huddles and at team stuff," he said.
"I suppose more of the work will be done in-game. Having said that, this group's been a dream, pretty much.
"Everyone has done their role and I haven't had too much input in terms of being skip this week."
Tuipulotu made his All Blacks debut in 2014 and will be winning his 47th cap against Japan.
He said he had "seen a lot of leaders come through" during his time as an international player.
"To be thought of as having the guts to do it, I'm very proud of the work I've done up to this moment," he said.
"But it's like any other game, I've got to play well to lead well, that's my philosophy in terms of how I can serve the others in this team.
"Leadership is nothing new for me," he added.
1️⃣ day to go! 🔥
— Japan Rugby (@JRFURugby) October 25, 2024
“The way we play, we can really put them (@AllBlacks) under pressure with our collective speed. We intend to do that from the first minute.” 💬
Read the full team announcement here 👇
🔗 https://t.co/Nh3EzgkuGA#BraveBlossoms | #JPNvNZL pic.twitter.com/1oykN9gHUB