For Wood, the biggest message is a personal one. “I'm fully back to full fitness. I've been playing games now for over a month-and-a-half, so I feel good, feel up to speed, which is nice, and ready to continue to attack the off-season,” he said.
That matters for New Zealand on several levels:
He also said he was “happy to be back firing” and that the injury setback had “given me that hunger to strive and achieve more”. For a team that will likely need composure as much as resilience, that edge could be crucial.
Wood’s description of this squad as “completely different” from the one that left South Africa unbeaten is revealing. The old All Whites were defined by grit, shape and defiance. This version appears more comfortable trying to control the ball and play with initiative.
That does not mean the challenge is any lighter. Iran, Egypt and Belgium make for a demanding group, and Wood was clear-eyed about the opening test. “So they're going to be tough to beat and tough to perform against,” he said of Iran.
There is confidence here, but not complacency. Wood said: “We're under no illusion it's going to be tough, but we think we've got the quality in our dressing room to be able to do that.” That may be the most important line of all - ambition grounded in realism.
Now the talk turns to 15 June in Los Angeles. If New Zealand can handle Iran and start cleanly, the story around Wood may shift quickly from recovery to leadership - and from hope to a genuine knockout-stage chase.