All Blacks inspired by impromptu history lesson

Wales beware. New Zealand’s passions are running high ahead of this evening’s clash at the Millennium Stadium.

The touring All Blacks squad may have a new look about it, with established names like Justin Marshall and Andrew Mehrtens resting back home, but they have an acute sense of history.

On Thursday the squad were stirred by a visit to the Angel Hotel, an infamous location in All Black history, from where prop Keith Murdoch was sent home from the 1972 tour.

The squad were then so moved at the prospect of taking on Wales in the “best rugby stadium in the world” that they opened their final training run with an impromptu haka, led by Rico Gear.

“If I wasn’t excited before I arrived, I certainly was walking out there. What a place to play,” said Richie McCaw, who will become New Zealand’s 60th Test captain when he leads the All Blacks out this evening.

“I can’t wait and the whole team is the same. We just got together, had a look around and the boys decided to do a haka. We felt like doing it. We realise the meaning of it. It was great.”

McCaw is seen as the future leader of the All Blacks and coach Graham Henry, whose emotions were also stirred on his return to the Millennium Stadium, has taken the opportunity to blood him as a leader by resting Tana Umaga.

Exciting centre Casey Laulala and scrum-half Piri Weepu make their debuts this evening and perhaps because there is such an eye on the future, All Black history has hung heavily over this game.

Henry, along with his assistant and fellow former Wales coach, has a unique perspective on the game and spoke earlier in the week of how history strongly binds the two rugby nations.

“We are the only two nations in the world where it is part of the culture, part of the fabric, part of the history,” he said earlier in the week.

“I don’t think you will have a fixture like this anywhere else in the world because of its historic significance. It’s a hugely special game.”

On Thursday evening former All Black and current selector Brian Lochore took the squad to the Angel Hotel, on the doorstep of the Millennium Stadium.

Murdoch, a hulking prop, became involved in an altercation and punched a security guard at the hotel just hours after scoring the winning try against Wales.

The New Zealand Rugby Union describe how team manager Ernie Todd only took the drastic step of sending him home “under severe pressure from the British unions“.

But Murdoch, who remains the only player ever sacked from a New Zealand tour, never made it back home, settling in outback Australia.

“Brian Lochore explained to us what happened and there is a bit of history for the All Blacks there,” said McCaw.

“We soaked it up and saw where a lot of All Blacks history, rightly or wrongly, has come from. It was great to see that.”

The decision to take the players back to the Angel Hotel surprised some, but under Henry the All Blacks have developed a keen sense of history.

Outstanding performers each week are rewarded with a special training jersey featuring a photograph of the 1924 All Blacks team visiting the Belgian grave of Dave Gallaher, captain of the first New Zealand touring team, who was killed in the First World War.