KEY POINTS:
The All Blacks will gain an indication to their fanbase's depth of feeling in the aftermath of their shock World Cup exit tomorrow when they touch down in a provincial rugby heartland.
The bulk of the squad were initially intended to land at Auckland international airport but 17 players and members of the management group - including coach Graham Henry - will now disembark in Christchurch tomorrow morning.
Their Air New Zealand flight via Tokyo, Japan, routinely stops in Christchurch enroute to Auckland, its final destination
A New Zealand Rugby Union spokesman said given the Canterbury contingent of the squad were getting off in Christchurch the travelling party would all disembark there before taking domestic flights to Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and, in lock Chris Jack's case, Nelson.
Originally all 30 players were to all arrive back in New Zealand at the end of the campaign but because some players' partners and family had flights that could not be changed, six players farewelled their teammates in Cardiff yesterday morning.
Mils Muliaina, Jerry Collins, Doug Howlett, Andy Ellis, Byron Kelleher and Neemia Tialata will head home independently.
Another seven players plus the rest of the management team will arrive home on Thursday.
- NZPA
