All Blacks head to Japan with World Cup on their minds

The next time the All Blacks leave Auckland for Japan, they will be headed to the Rugby World Cup.

This time around, they’ve got two tests – against Australia and the hosts – then it’s off to Europe, where England, Ireland and Italy await.

The All Blacks camp have made plenty of noise about the benefits of spending two weeks in Japan a year out from the World Cup.

The way coach Steve Hansen sees it, next weekend’s Bledisloe Cup test is somewhat of a dress rehearsal for next year’s tournament opener against the Springboks.

‘‘We’ve had a couple of weeks off and when we go up to play South Africa it will be after four weeks off, so it’ll be a big match and we have to hit the road running, so we’ll have to see how we go with it.’’

Hansen said the trip would have benefits for both players and staff when it comes to next year.

‘‘You get up there, you find out what the culture of the place is like, the stadiums you’re going to play in and the facilities you’re going to train in, so it gives you a little bit of a feel for what it’s going to be like and it becomes home, so we’ll get used to home quicker.’’

With the Bledisloe Cup already stowed away for the year, the European leg of the end-of-year tour is the more exciting one, featuring clashes with England and Ireland that could be repeated in the knockout stages a year from now.

Hansen said it was hard not to think about all that lies ahead over the next five weeks.

‘‘You look at today, you look at tomorrow, and then you look at the future, don’t you?

‘‘It’s like any business that you’re in and rugby’s no different.

‘‘We’ve got to get up there, get ourselves set and ready to go for Australia, but then you’re thinking about the Japan week as well, and then you start thinking about what’s coming after that.’’

With the test against England coming a week after the test against Japan, the All Blacks have opted for a unique approach. Thirty-two players will assemble for next weekend’s test with the Wallabies, with 22 heading immediately to London afterwards and 19 fresh faces arriving from New Zealand to complete the squad for the Japan test.

That group of 19 includes 10 uncapped players, selected with an eye on the future.

As Hansen put it: ‘‘It’s the start of their turn to have a crack at the jersey.

‘‘It’s not just about next year, some of these guys are players that were picked for way beyond next year, so it’s important that they start well and get a feeling for what it’s like and get used to the pressure that comes with being an All Black and the scrutiny that comes with that.’’