All Blacks get a head-start for Wales
According to All Black great Jeff Wilson the first Test of the year is always difficult, but believes that the balance between youth and experienced in the New Zealand squad ensures they have the talent to succeed.
"[New Zealand have] gone for experience by bringing back players like Israel Dagg," Wilson said in an interview on allblacks.com.
"Then they've looked to the future with guys like Liam Squire and Elliot Dixon who have both played so well over the past couple of years.
"The bottom line is the performance of players has been rewarded and they have put trust in players who have done the job before," Wilson added.
Wilson also think combinations will not be an issue for the All Blacks.
"I am not so worried about combinations. They have got two weeks preparation and time together which is longer than previous years. So they have a chance to iron out a few of those things,”
New Zealand assistant coach Ian Foster is the second guy who feels that the past week will have helped the players get together with a clear break from their Super Rugby commitments.
"There's a much better feel about this week, the players are enjoying it. They're not changing from one environment to the other. It's going to be a better learning process for us we can check where we're going as we go through the week and hopefully we come in next Monday charging.
"The guys have been outstanding the way they have been getting their focus on that but hopefully by the end of the week their bodies are going to be charged up and maybe get a bit more intensity into it," Foster said.
Blues centre George Moala had been called into the squad, and while injured himself, he was expected to be right for training on Thursday.
He is cover for Charlie Ngatai.
Foster said Ngatai had been excused from the camp. He was still having concussion symptoms and the decision was made to send him home to 'chill out for the next three or four days' and he would be reviewed on a daily basis.
Lock Sam Whitelock's hamstring was progressing to plan and he would be assessed on a week-by-week basis and Tawera Kerr-Barlow was due to start some passing work after recovering from his hand injury.
Knowing Wales coach Warren Gatland from their playing days Forster said they would come to New Zealand well prepared and with a really good understanding of what they have to do on the park.
"I know he is looking forward to coming back and bringing his team back, and he will have some points to prove, that's Test match rugby," he said.
Source: allblacks.com
@AllBlacks