KEY POINTS:
The Kiwis will breathe in the full history of their game when they visit the Karori Cemetery in Wellington today to see the grave of 1908 All Golds tour organiser Albert Baskiville.
"We expect it to be a good motivational tool," said new national coach Gary Kemble.
"It'll
be good for them, even the senior players. It's great that the past is being brought into it. We've spoken about it already and we'll have a debrief afterwards. They are looking forward to it and it will tell them something about representing the jersey they have."
Descendants of the six All Golds players buried at Karori will be joined by the full Kiwis squad, former Aussie coach Wayne Bennett, who will coach the 2007 All Golds, and former Kiwis greats who are to play in the 100-year commemorative game at Warrington next weekend.
Baskiville died in Brisbane during the return journey from an arduous tour of England and Australia in 1907-08 after contracting influenza.
He and team captain Hercules Wright, Dan Fraser, James Barber, Tom Cross and Eric Watkins are buried at Karori. Sixty of their relatives and those of seven other All Golds are expected at the wreath-laying this morning.
All Golds captain Ruben Wiki and Nigel Vagana will also be there.
The players to join those two plus Stacey Jones, in what is his farewell game before retirement, plus the Australians' Dally Messenger representative Steve Price for the game at Warrington on October 21 were named yesterday. It is a mix of past, present and future Kiwis.
Sam Perrett and Chase Stanley, who are yet to make their international debuts, come from the wider Kiwis squad to play three tests against Great Britain and one in France, as do established Kiwis David Kidwell, Louis Anderson and Thomas Leuluai.
Former Warriors and Kiwis Clinton Toopi and Ali Lauitiiti come from the Leeds club, which is to contest this weekend's Super League grand final, while their opponents St Helens supply another ex-Warrior in Francis Meli and his old Kiwis teammate Jason Cayless.
Former Roosters prop Adrian Morley has been appointed captain of the Northern Union, with the Brits to name the rest of their Union team and the test squad after the grand final.
The points-scoring for the centenary match will be a bow to old rules, with a try and all kicks including field goals worth three points.
The Kiwis ran at Wainuiomata yesterday without problem. Kemble said he was happy with the way combinations were knitting together, though they were a way from being 100 per cent. Halves Jeremy Smith and Ben Roberts were learning quickly.
"Everyone is freshened up, we have no injury worries and hopefully it stays that way," he said. "The young guys are loving it and they have brought some excitement and enthusiasm to the team."
There will be further encouragement and history-making for the Kiwis in England after a visit to Buckingham Palace next Tuesday was confirmed.
The Australians had the day off yesterday. Both teams today attend a parliamentary lunch at the Beehive and have runs scheduled at the match venue tomorrow.
