All Blacks touch down for business end of tour

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/7968680/All-Blacks-touch-down-for-business-end-of-tour
TOBY ROBSON IN CARDIFF 
19/11/2012


From Bulgari watches, classic cars and the Colosseum to the charms of Cardiff and Welsh rugby's latest crisis.
There is little doubt the All Blacks end of year tour has entered a new phase.
The squad flew out of Rome today with injury concerns over Beauden Barrett (ribs), Keven Mealamu (calf), Aaron Smith (knee) and Aaron Cruden (shoulder).
Barrett is the most pressing and be will have x-rays to ascertain the damage done during the first half of Sunday's 42-10 win over Italy.
But coach Steve Hansen is confident only utility Tamati Ellison will be unavailable for selection this week.
Wales' woeful run of five losses, the latest against Samoa, has raised questions over the status of the third tour match being the first of two "big tests" for the All Blacks, but the build up will definitely be a change of pace.
In Rome the All Blacks were treated like rugby royalty.
Midweek the players dined as guests at the home of Nicola Bulgari where they were given a look at the collection of the 350 classic cars in his basement.
Several players later took one of the cars for a spin during a sponsor's commitment.
Italy's economy might be a wreck with students marching around the Colosseum to protest against the lack of jobs this week, but there is enormous wealth in the luxury goods market.
Bulgari recently released a limited run of 250 All Blacks watches which retailed at around 12,000 Euros (approximately NZD$18,800) each.
They sold out so fast another 250 were quickly produced and the New Zealand Rugby Union's watch maker, they signed on as official partners for two-years back in March, made sure they milked the All Blacks visit for all it was worth.
The watches were advertised heavily in Rome's major papers on match day and there is little doubt the NZRU sees further potential to push their brand in Italy.
When the All Blacks played in Milan two years ago nearly 81,000 crammed into San Siro Stadium in the fashion capital.
But last time the All Blacks visited Rome, in 2004, they could only pull 27,000 at Stadio Flaminio.
Eight years on Stadio Olimpico's 80,000 seats sold out and the merchandisers around the complex could barely keep up.
Ma'a Nonu was stopped wherever he went and instantly recognised from the moment he arrived.
No wonder NZRU chief executive Steve Tew was in town meeting with representatives of a company recently acquired by Louis Vuitton.

And no wonder Hansen, captain Kieran Read and the other players talked up the test, arguably beyond its station, at the after-match.
That said it was a great occasion, if not a perfect All Blacks performance, and the home side produced a display their fans could be proud of before wilting in the final 15 minutes.
It gave Hansen a chance to see unproven players like Dane Coles, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Beauden Barrett under pressure in front of a hostile crowd.
All three passed with flying colours, while Aaron Cruden got valuable game time at pivot, but, like a number of others, looked short on recent match play.
Hansen expects everyone to be available for selection of what he's indicated will be his top 23.
Mealamu had "history" with his calf, so would be monitored, but Ben Smith's broken cheek bone was no longer an issue and Israel Dagg (bruised buttocks) was good to go and Smith and Cruden were unlikely to be an issue.
Meanwhile there is no movement on a possible IRB review of Adam Thomson's one-week ban for trampling against Scotland.

CARDIFF: All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has named his strongest starting line-up for Saturday's one-off Test against Wales, restoring skipper Richie McCaw and star fly-half Dan Carter to the side.
After experimenting in the first two Tests of the tour to give all of his 32-man squad a run, Hansen opted to take no chances against an out-of-form Wales desperate to redeem themselves by downing the world champions.
"We have always known that this game will be a fiercely contested match... we have known since the World Cup that this would be the the game they would be targeting in this series," Hansen said.
"So any recent performances or results won't have any bearing on this match."

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McCaw, rested for last week's 42-10 win over Italy, takes the captain's armband back from Kieran Read, while Carter replaces understudy Aaron Cruden at No.10 after warming the bench in Rome.
In all, there are nine changes from the side that defeated Italy with Tony Woodcock the only survivor in a revamped tight five featuring Andrew Hore, Owen Franks, Luke Romano and Sam Whitelock.
Liam Messam was retained as blindside flanker over Adam Thomson, whose one-match ban for stamping on Alasdair Strokosch in a 51-22 win over Scotland is being appealed by the International Rugby Board as "unduly lenient".
Hansen said he did not want the appeal to disrupt the team's preparation.
In the backs, Hansen stuck with the experienced centre pairing of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, who played a key role in demolishing Italy.
Fullback Israel Dagg returns from injury at the expense of Beauden Barrett, while Cory Jane replaces Hosea Gear on the right wing.
Julian Savea, this year's top international try scorer with 10 five-pointers in seven Tests, kept his place on the left wing, making him the only player to start in all three of New Zealand's tour matches.
Aaron Smith held off a challenge from a resurgent Piri Weepu at scrum-half, although Hansen conceded it was a close call after Weepu's strong performance against Scotland.
The All Blacks are on a run of 19 Tests undefeated and have posted 24 straight wins over Wales since they last lost to the Red Dragons in 1953.
They enter the fixture as overwhelming favourites against a Wales team reeling after a run of five successive defeats, including a 26-19 loss to bogey team Samoa last week.
Hansen said the hosts would be determined to end their horror run and return to the form that delivered this year's Six Nations championship and a semi-final berth at last year's World Cup.
New Zealand wrap up their tour at Twickenham on December 1 against England, who are the last team to defeat them on a northern hemisphere tour, with a 31-28 win in 2002.
New Zealand: Israel Dagg; Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea; Dan Carter, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (captain), Liam Messam; Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano; Owen Franks, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock. Replacements: Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Brodie Retallick, Victor Vito, Piri Weepu, Aaron Cruden, Ben Smith.
AFP


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/hansen-takes-no-chances-with-fullstrength-all-blacks-named-for-wales-clash-20121122-29sm5.html#ixzz2Cylh9nBw