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AIX EN PROVENCE - Cooler climes, hotter performance - that's the latest theory emerging from a confident All Blacks camp ahead of Monday morning's (3am, NZ time) rugby World Cup clash with Scotland in Edinburgh.
Three weeks after landing in Corsica, the New Zealanders were to depart France
for the first time today, leaving behind non-stop sunshine and daytime temperatures always hovering above 25degC.
The forecast for the remainder of this week in Edinburgh is rain every day and 16degC the highest the mercury will climb.
It was something coach Graham Henry welcomed.
"That'll be good for our guys in a rugby sense. Cooler temperatures will give them a bit more energy perhaps, which might be a bit frightening," he said.
"And they'll play in conditions that they usually play in in the winter in New Zealand.
"(But) It may take a wee while to get adjusted from the magnificent conditions we've had in France."
The adjustment will be good practice for the All Blacks players, who will be back in their Aix en Provence base early next week and stay in southern France for the final pool match against Romania at Toulouse.
Then it will be another temperature plunge when they shift the following week for their quarterfinal - in Cardiff if they beat the Scots this weekend.
Henry had the playoffs in mind when he spoke yesterday about his team named to play at Murrayfield.
He made a point of stating it wasn't yet his strongest lineup, with about a quarter of the positions - which he wouldn't specify - still yet to be signed off by the selection panel for the knockout phase.
"We just thought the 30 players were more important than the 15," Henry said.
"There's a good camaraderie going and a good feel in the group and we want the players to believe that they've got an opportunity to be selected in the top 15.
"We didn't want to make those decisions at this stage, we want to make them after Romania."
The addition of Chris Masoe on the blindside flank ahead of Jerry Collins and Reuben Thorne for his first tournament outing at lock instead of Chris Jack are two examples of player welfare ruling Henry's selections rather than form.
Assistant coach Steve Hansen agreed the changes gave the All Blacks pack a more mobile feel but didn't think they would necessarily make their playing style more high speed at Edinburgh.
"We'll play a normal type of game, the one that suits us best. We'll move the ball when it's needed to be moved," Hansen said.
"If we've got to tighten it up, well let's tighten it up.
"Reuby at lock is no different to Jacko, it just gives us another good athlete."
Thorne's return from a hamstring strain leaves lock Keith Robinson as the only All Black yet to play at the tournament.
An upbeat Henry had positive news on that front as well yesterday, saying Robinson was on course to return against Romania.
The coach praised his medical staff, who had shown excellent restraint in not pushing the Waikato hard man Robinson too hard, nor hamstring sufferers at this tournament - Thorne, Conrad Smith and Mils Muliaina.
"If I was in charge of the medical crew we would have lost them so thank goodness I wasn't because I wouldn't be as patient," Henry said.
Not unexpectedly, Henry talked up Scotland's performance in their 42-0 defeat of Romania at Murrayfield today. It followed their opening 56-10 win over Portugal.
"They were very efficient, I've been impressed with them actually," Henry said.
"They've got a good lineout, they've got some strength in the back three (fullback Rory Lamont and wingers Sean Lamont and Chris Paterson), the back three are very potent.
"The goalkicker (Paterson) doesn't miss any shots at goal, which is always pretty handy.
"I think they're playing well and I think they'll be a big challenge for us and that's good."
- NZPA
