All Blacks: Training by the Thames for match one

The All Blacks held their first full training session in England tonight.

The defending world champions have checked into luxury retreat The Lensbury in Teddington, Middlesex, where they are based ahead of the their first Pool C match.

The All Blacks will play Argentina at Wembley early on Monday morning and then Namibia at the Olympic Stadium four days later.

The team will travel to Cardiff for their pool game against Georgia and then Newcastle for
a game against Tonga.

The Lensbury is a 171-room four-star hotel complex on the southern banks of the Thames. It boasts a full size rugby pitch - where the team trained last night - a gym, 25m heated indoor pool, 19 tennis courts and two squash courts.

The team are vying to become the first side to win back-to-back World Cups.

All Blacks Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw and Luke Romano during the side's first full team training session, held at the teams base The Lensbury, Teddington, Middlesex, London. Photo / Brett Phibbs