Veteran Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson considers the All Blacks squad confirmed for next month's Rugby World Cup are capable of winning a third crown in 12 years - something unthinkable 12 months ago.
Coach Ian Foster has named his 33-man roster to contest the tournament in France, ending months of intrigue over its composition, given a surfeit of talent emerging through Super Rugby Pacific and a successful Rugby Championship/Bledisloe Cup international campaign.
While the announcement has produced its share of selection winners and losers, Johnson has told AM the team can return home triumphant - with a little luck.
"We're saying things about this team we wouldn't have been saying a year ago," he said. "This team has turned around.
"They've made some necessary adjustments to their coaching team and I feel a lot more confident about the ability of this team to do well.
"I'm not saying they're going to win it. To me, if France can't win this tournament with the team they've got at home, they will never win it, but I never doubt their ability for everything to blow up in their face.
"Ireland have never been past the quarter-finals, South Africa have such a good record and are suited to World Cup rugby. Australia, to me, despite their bad form, they're smokies for the tournament and there are other contenders as well.
"This is a wide-open World Cup tournament and they'll need a few things to fall their way, but [the All Blacks is] a team that is a lot more capable of winning than we would have imagined a year ago."
Last August, Foster narrowly survived a historic home series defeat to Ireland and the All Blacks' first-ever loss to Argentina at home to keep his job, but lost assistants Brad Mooar and John Plumtree in the process.
Crusaders assistant Jason Ryan was brought in to boost the forwards' direction, while former Ireland mastermind Joe Schmidt was given a more prominent role on the All Blacks staff.
Since then, the national team have compiled an 11-game unbeaten run, marred only by a draw against England at Twickenham last November.
New Zealand face hosts and world No.1 France in their World Cup opener on September 9 (NZ time), with a possible quarter-final against either Ireland or champions South Africa further down the track.
Johnson and Newshub rugby reporter Ollie Ritchie have questioned the balance between forwards and backs as their biggest concern over the All Blacks squad, with injuries to lock Brodie Retallick and centre Braydon Ennor throwing a late curveball at the selectors.
"To me, the unluckiest one is Samipeni Finau, because I think they're probably short of a loose forward," Johnson told AM. "To me, it's just slightly puzzling the way they have concentrated numbers into the front row and also a big platoon of wingers.
"That's come at the expense of a loose forward that would come in very handy, particularly with Brodie Retallick probably not likely to play until the second or third game.
"Finau unlucky, Brad Weber unlucky - Shaun Stevenson's a guy would have had in the mix as well - and of course those guys who have had a wretched run of injury luck, Ethan Blackadder, Joe Moody and Braydon Ennor."
Ritchie highlights the versatility within the forward pack, and the ability of locks Scott Barrett and Tupou Vaa'i to cover loose forward positions, while flanker Shannon Frizell could play lock at a pinch.
