KEY POINTS:
CARDIFF- Psychological issues extending half a century, or in the All Blacks little more than a year, have been promoted as having a bearing on tomorrow's (6.15amSunNZT) rugby test between New Zealand and Wales.
Wales coach Warren Gatland commenced the mind games 24 hours before kick-off when suggesting
the All Blacks players and coaches might be battling to come to terms with their return to a venue bound to their history of failure at last year's World Cup.
New Zealand will play at the cathedral of Welsh rugby for the first time since their shock quarterfinal defeat to France last October.
Eight of the All Blacks starting line-up returned to the ground today, while utility back Isaia Toeava was a reserve - and he is tomorrow - and hooker Keven Mealamu, who starts, was unavailable to face the French due to injury.
The All Blacks have been reminded of that game since they arrived here from Ireland on Wednesday and Gatland, the former Waikato mentor who led Wales to the Grand Slam and Six Nations in his first season in charge, was not about to let that remarkable upset fade from view.
"The last time the All Blacks were here they lost, they're in the same changing rooms as they were last time," he said before suggesting Graham Henry and Steve Hansen might also be distracted by the fact their respective tenures with Wales ended on a low note.
"It's the same changing rooms that two coaches have had not the greatest time in the latter period of coaching Wales.
"Perhaps there's a view demons that might come to haunt the coaches and the All Blacks that were here last year."
Gatland also pinpointed an All Blacks test loss that preceded the World Cup meltdown and the Springboks' historic win in Carisbrook this season as proof the world's No 1-ranked team can be frazzled.
"When the All Blacks get in front and play with confidence there's no team in the world that can live with them. But if you're in that arm wrestle and things get pretty tight with a few minutes to go on the clock - there's times in the past where they've cracked.
"You've seen big matches in World Cups, last year against Australia (in Melbourne) we saw frailties as well - we saw them in Otago where South Africa beat them this year.
"If you can get them to start asking some questions of themselves then perhaps some of their demons come back to haunt them."
Henry, anticipating Gatland's train of thought, played along.
"Of course we've got a few demons. You like to win every game of rugby - sometimes you get second. I've been second on this ground a few times - including the last time we played. It's not a great memory, but that's the reality."
The All Blacks head coach did not take the opportunity to point out a well-known Welsh weakness - an inability to beat the All Blacks during their last 19 meetings.
Wales has fashioned a lamentable record against New Zealand since they won 13-8 at the Arms Park in 1953.
In the tests subsequently played, for every Welsh try scored, six have been conceded.
Only in 2004 did Wales come desperately close to snapping their winless streak but at the critical moment their self-belief deserted them - they lost 25-26 after opting for a 76th minute penalty goal rather than an attacking lineout to set up a potentially match-winning try.
That narrow defeat has been followed by back-to-back hammerings on home soil: 41-3 in 2005 as the All Blacks cruised to their second Grand Slam and 45-10 two years ago.
Still, the All Blacks management issued the standard pre-match warnings to temper expectations.
Assistant coach Wayne Smith has already spoken of the threats the Scots and Irish would pose - and he expected the Six Nations' champions to offer even more resistance.
"From what we've seen they're certainly got some good variations and their forwards offload more than any other forwards in Europe," he said.
"They'll throw a lot at us - they play with a lot of width, they take quick taps - they like to give the game a lot of tempo."
Smith said despite history being in the All Blacks favour "we can't just walk out there" expecting to win.
"We have to match them in the tough places. If you can't match them up front or in passion and physicality it doesn't matter how good the backs are, you're not going to win," he said.
"That's always our challenge up here. Whoever you play, they see it as a chance to create history."
- NZPA
