All Blacks return to familiar Cardiff turf

Keven Mealamu returns to the All Blacks starting lineup after serving his suspension. Photo / Getty Images

Familiarity breeds contempt - but not in the case of the All Blacks and their home away from home: Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Tomorrow's test will be the seventh consecutive year the All Blacks have played at the home of Welsh rugby and the eighth time in the 12 years since the ground was rebuilt.

The association with Cardiff is so strong that the only grounds the All Blacks have played at more under Graham Henry are Eden Park and Westpac Stadium. They have been more frequent visitors to the Millennium than they have to Sydney, Dunedin and Christchurch.

The All Blacks' record is pretty good in Cardiff, too. They have won five of their last six matches there - the only defeat, of course, coming in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final where they lost to France.

Tomorrow will be the last time for at least two years, if not longer, the All Blacks will venture to Wales. With the World Cup at home next year and the New Zealand Rugby Union having decided fewer tests will be played from 2012, the All Blacks could become infrequent visitors to Cardiff.

The link with the Welsh capital has been a feature of the Henry reign, perhaps unsurprisingly given this is where he began his international coaching career.

When he spoke last week about what it would mean to collect his 100th test victory, he reminisced fondly about the day the Welsh beat England in 1999 to deny them a Grand Slam. He mentioned the Welsh victory over South Africa in the same year and back-to-back wins secured in Paris - all on his watch as coach.

A piece of Henry's heart has been left in Wales and current All Blacks have also come to love the grounds. Keven Mealamu debuted in Cardiff in 2002 and rates it his favourite.

Sonny Bill Williams, although he's never played at the Millennium, was well briefed on what to expect as the All Blacks had been talking about the cauldron-like atmosphere.

"The roof will be shut and when I was talking with Dessie [Dan Carter] yesterday he was saying that when you say the moves you have to come right up close to talk to each other - that's how loud it is," said Williams.

"Hopefully we get a few points on them early to shut the crowd up a bit. But if it's anything like England, there will be a lot of singing and it should be an awesome atmosphere. To play in front of all those people - I am really looking forward to it."

To enhance the historic bond with Cardiff, the All Black coaches usually lead players not involved in the test to the Angel Hotel for a few Friday night drinks. The Angel was the place where the infamous incident occurred with former All Black Keith Murdoch and a doorman.

It might be a while before the All Blacks come back but for Henry, this could be it - he's unlikely to be back as an international coach. It is fitting that the All Blacks' link with Cardiff will go on hold after tomorrow. It has been as much a part of the Henry reign as rotation and reconditioning.