ALL BLACKS A MUST: "You've just got to see what rugby means in this country to think of it as inconceivable," All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said.

The All Blacks have rejected claims from International Rugby Board chief executive Mike Miller that the Kiwi team could be 'replaced' at the next World Cup in England.

Miller today responded to a threat by New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief Steve Tew to withdraw the All Blacks from the 2015 World Cup, by telling Radio Sport no team was irreplaceable.

"Does the World Cup need the All Blacks? Everyone is replaceable," he said.

Last week Tew sparked off the controversy by saying the NZRU may not be able to afford to send the All Blacks to the next Rugby World Cup unless the International Rugby Board changed its financial structure, as it was costing it millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Competing at the current tournament had cost his union more than $13 million at a time when player costs were rising and the world economy was weak, he said.

All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith rejected Miller's comments at a press conference in Auckland today.

"You've just got to see what rugby means in this country to think of it as inconceivable," he said.

"But I haven't thought a lot about it. I'm focusing on Argentina. They're a big enough test for me."

Backline utility Richard Kahui echoed the sentiments from Smith saying the tournament would lack legitimacy if any of the big nations were missing.

"You can't have a World Cup without the All Blacks, without any of the top nations," he said.

"They've all got to be there just to make it a legitimate World Cup."

Miller told Radio Sport that Tew had been involved in making the decisions he was now complaining about, as he had been on the IRB council for several years.

Miller did not appear to agree with the New Zealand figures, saying the IRB was not involved in the decision to truncate this year's tri-Nations tournament involving New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

Tew was part of the decision for the southern hemisphere teams not to travel to the northern hemisphere at the end of the year, as is usual in other seasons. Those tours are big money spinners for the NZRU.

"It's up to him to say what he likes, having spoken to people up and down the country - I don't think they'd agree with him," Miller said, saying the timing of Tew's comments mid-way through the World Cup was "not brilliant".

It was a tough economic situation, and all unions were suffering, Miller said.

An examination of IRB finances would be done in a democratic fashion, and that would not necessarily result in countries getting what they wanted.

Miller rated the World Cup "10 out of 10, absolutely brilliant".

Stadiums had been sold out, the standard of play was high and New Zealanders had embraced it, demonstrated by 1000 people lining up to welcome the Russians.

"It won't be the best in terms of finance because this is a smaller market," he said.