All Whites players Ivan Vicelich and Shane Smeltz during their practice session yesterday. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The international press was present, even if in exceedingly small numbers.
And the sort of local media scrum that greets test rugby combatants in this country signalled that this was no ordinary day at North Harbour Stadium.
The next major step in the All Whites' road to South Africa kicked
off at Albany yesterday, with a squad of Australasian-based players - some World Cup certainties and others desperate aspirants - having their first major training run.
Their 12-day camp will involve two practice sessions a day, a training match against Auckland City at Kiwitea St tomorrow afternoon, and a key encounter against the NZFC All Stars at Albany on Sunday next week.
Coach Ricki Herbert will name his 23-man World Cup squad about three days after the All Stars match. Those players will assemble on May 19 to prepare for the match against Australia in Melbourne five days later.
Herbert already has about 19 players firmly pencilled in for the World Cup, leaving four places up for grabs.
Those places are so open that players from the All Stars and Auckland City are having the World Cup carrot dangled in front of them.
Eighteen players - with close to two thirds being World Cup certainties - are taking part in this camp.
Herbert said: "This is the last piece of the puzzle. It's a diverse group - some will definitely go and others are challenging.
"The intensity has to be right up there and I like what I've seen so far.
"There will be a collective attitude going into the games but it is also a cut- throat, dog-eat-dog situation.
"Bring it on I say, because that is the attitude we are looking for.
"We've set the bar extremely high this week, and if players haven't come well equipped for that they may struggle."
Herbert recalled the preparation that took the All Whites team he played for to the World Cup in 1982.
"I can reflect on 30 years ago and there will be a bit of an edge to this - I'd be disappointed if I didn't see that."
The Squad
James Bannatyne
Glen Moss
Mark Paston
Jacob Spoonley
Tony Lochhead
David Mulligan
Ben Sigmund
Ivan Vicelich
James Pritchett
Aaron Scott
Andy Barron
Leo Bertos
Jeremy Brockie
Tim Brown
Aaron Clapham
Cole Peverley
Costa Barbarouses
Shane Smeltz
