It comes back to common sense.
Pete Gallagher makes a point of keeping his feet firmly on the ground when preparing the All Blacks for a test.
The Dunedin-based All Blacks physiotherapist, who is kept busy looking after the players, makes sure he has practical solutions that work.
He told secondary school pupils at a science festival breakfast before the test in Dunedin at the weekend that he read all the latest research.
New Zealand rugby did not have the financial resources of overseas teams and ''still uses a No 8 fencing wire approach in our preparation'', Gallagher says.
The All Blacks did not call on as much high-powered and expensive training and medical equipment as some overseas teams.
''I find that the cheaper units are more reliable. You can end up with too much data,'' he said.
Gallagher gave an example of how the latest research had changed the way All Blacks trained and recovered from games.
''Twenty years ago, players immersed themselves in an ice-cold bath. We now know that cold water is enough - it doesn't need to be ice-cold.''
Professional rugby teams do a lot of travelling across time zones which can affect the sleeping patterns of the players.
The All Blacks use sleep devices with a blue light to help them sleep and overcome jet lag. They also have a policy called the ''depower hour'', with players instructed to turn off their phones and other electronic devices an hour before they go to bed.
On the week of a test, the All Blacks have five field-based training sessions that concentrate on technique and tactics. There are also five sessions in the gymnasium.
Gallagher has been with the All Blacks since being promoted from the Highlanders in 2005.
Another speaker at the science breakfast was Ken Quarrie, the senior scientist with the New Zealand Rugby Union.
Quarrie said New Zealand had led research into spinal injuries in rugby.
''They have been reduced by 89% since 2000,'' Quarrie said.
Since the start of professional rugby, tackles have increased by 51%, rucks by 63% and tries by 72%, and the ball is kept in play 19% more of the time because there are fewer scrums and mauls.
Quarrie said in top-level rugby the average size of the forwards had increased from 100kg to 110kg and the backs from 82kg to 94kg.
''The average weight of the Springbok forwards this year is 116kg,'' he said.
New Zealand International Science Festival director Chris Green said using sports examples was helpful to promote science to young people.
''Sport is something they understand because it is part of their everyday life. We wanted to show that science is more than white coats and test tubes,'' Green said.
