KEY POINTS:
The All Blacks communications department trotted out new 'media protocols' this week, to put them more in line with what they can expect at the Rugby World Cup. But to simulate properly what Dan Carter can expect, they would have had to rent a crowd.
Even in the
relatively safe surrounds of the predominantly New Zealand press pack, Carter is still the most popular bloke in the room, but the world's most marketable rugby star is in for a shock when he arrives in France.
He will quite literally be besieged from all media angles and he will find that New Zealand's fascination with his form is superseded by the foreign press's fascination with his private life.
Some sample questions from last Tuesday's press call:
How has your week been?
"Not too bad. It's been pretty low key; just trying to get rid of the bumps and bruises from a pretty physical game in the weekend. But we've quickly switched our focus to Australia and are looking forward to the challenge this weekend."
Is this one of the bigger Tri Nations' games you've been involved in over the years?
"Yeah, I think so. It's the last Tri Nations' game of the year and everything to play for - the Tri Nations and the Bledisloe. We'll be putting everything out there to make sure we hold on to those trophies."
Have the All Blacks been holding anything back?
"I don't think that's the case. We go into games with set game plans but, I guess, giving away penalties and 50-50 passes leading to dropped balls, we can't implement things or finish things off. We're definitely not holding anything back."
Carter's pat answers are delivered with a lazy nonchalance. He can, and does, answer these in a half sleep.
Chances are he won't be given that luxury in Marseille or Paris and points in between.
Some likely sample questions from his first press call in France: How do you like French women? Do you have a girlfriend back home? How do you relax away from rugby? Are all French dirty players? Is the food here to your liking? Épouserez-vous ma fille?
He might get asked the odd rugby question, but one thing you can guarantee, the All Blacks - and Carter in particular - are about to be jolted from their comfort zone.
How the All Blacks manage Carter's off-field load at the World Cup will be fascinating.
They could learn a salient lesson from the last, flawed, campaign.
The media turned against the 2003 All Blacks for good in the lead-up to the fateful semifinal against Australia.
The big story was how the clash of the four respective superstar flyhalves - Jonny Wilkinson, Freddie Michalak, Carlos Spencer and Stephen Larkham - would go a long way to determining the eventual finalists.
Quite prophetic really.
A number of the world's rugby media flew to Melbourne specifically for an All Blacks media session, expecting Spencer to front the conference. Perhaps believing he was on a hiding to nothing, Spencer was given leave to miss the conference, much to the disgust of the mainly British media who, petty or not, cheered louder than anybody when Larkham's Wallabies won the semifinal.
All of which will bother this regime not one jot.
But, come crunch time, when the world's media is asking questions and demanding answers, the All Blacks' attitude will go a long way towards determining the anxiety levels in the camp.