All Blacks book date with Wales

New Zealand get a shot at the 'grand slam'

New Zealand have confirmed that they will play Wales at the Millennium Stadium in November, a move which hands the All Blacks a shot at the fabled tour 'grand slam' - wins over all four Home Unions on their own turf.

The All Blacks are scheduled to face Ireland, England and Scotland on successive weekends in November, and after months of discussion, a November 5 date has finally been agreed by the New Zealand and Welsh Rugby Unions for the extra Test in Cardiff.

It will be the first time in 17 years that the All Blacks - who face the British & Irish Lions in June/July - have had the opportunity of facing all four Home Nations, and the match at the Millennium Stadium will also mark 100 years since the first Test between New Zealand and Wales.

NZRU chief executive Chris Moller believes the match will be a fitting tribute to the Originals, so-called because they were the first team to be called the All Blacks.

Their only loss on that tour in 1905 was the controversial 3-0 defeat by Wales.

"The match-up between the All Blacks and Wales is not only a celebration of that famous match but it is also a re-match of last year's stirring Test between the two countries, and creates the possibility of a Grand Slam attempt by the All Blacks," said Moller.

David Moffett, WRU chief executive, revealed that the event will also kick off the Welsh Rugby Union's 125th anniversary season.

"This will be a momentous occasion for Wales and Cardiff and will provide the sternest possible test for Mike Ruddock and the team in the first match of an historic series which will see Wales play against all three southern hemisphere super-powers," Moffett said.

Because the match against Wales falls only two weeks after the National Provincial Championship final, All Blacks coach Graham Henry and his management team discussed the issues of player welfare and workload with group of senior squad members.

But they all felt the opportunity of a Grand Slam tour in the same year as the series against the British and Irish Lions was something not to be passed up.

"This will be enormous and coming at the end of a year in which the All Blacks will take on the British and Irish Lions, means that the All Blacks and our fans face a truly epic challenge," said Henry, the former coach of Wales.

"As for taking on Wales again after their Six Nations win - I can already picture the atmosphere in Cardiff.

"We had to take a close look at the scheduling issues because of the player welfare issues and workload impact on our senior players, and to ensure that if we took on this match, we would be able to be competitive."

Henry also added that each of the players in contention for the tour will be put on an individual programme and monitored closely to ensure that their workload during the NPC and in the lead-up period "is conducive to achieving a good performance on tour".

Following the Wales match, the All Blacks tackle Ireland on November 12, before taking on England a week later and then Scotland on November 26.