All Blacks coach Steve Hansen expects his side to put their shaky Rugby World Cup start behind them and raise their performance levels against Namibia.

New Zealand were far from their fluent best in their opening match of Pool C against Argentina, and needed a late second-half flourish to secure their 26-16 win at Wembley.

Hansen is keen to quickly move on from Sunday's showing and is confident the defending champions – who have made 12 changes from the win over the Pumas – will be much better at the Olympic Stadium on Thursday.

"What happened the other day is in the past," he said. "Each team has to prepare in its own way. 

"One of the things that we pride ourselves on is trying to improve our performance from the previous one. We have a line in the sand as far as the game against Argentina goes.

"The group going out on Thursday have to change that line to a higher performance level. It does not matter who we are playing. That's our focus."

Thursday's clash will be the first time the All Blacks have faced Namibia and Hansen insists his side will take nothing for granted against the minnows.

He added: "We will give Namibia total respect because that's what they deserve as another playing nation. Rugby is a funny thing and sport is a funny thing. If you don't prepare properly then you can get a hiding.

"We can't just assume that Namibia will lie down because they won't. The World Cup has already shown that in previous ones and this one. 

"They will be proud men and will come out and give it everything they have got and ask questions of us for sure."