McCaw expects toughest test at scene of World Cup exit

New Zealand have won their last 19 Tests against Wales but their captain, Richie McCaw, is expecting the men in red to provide the greatest threat to his hopes of a grand slam tour. The All Blacks return to the Millennium Stadium, scene of their World Cup exit last year, on Saturday.

The All Blacks have beaten Scotland (32-6) and Ireland (22-3) to reach the halfway stage of their tour without conceding a Test try - Munster scored one in the tourists' 18-16 win in Limerick on Tuesday - but McCaw believes Wales will be a step up and New Zealand have chosen their strongest available side to face the Six Nations champions.

"Wales will pose the biggest challenge to us physically and, if their front five performs, they have the ability behind to run amok," said McCaw. "We had a classic game against them four years ago when we won by a point and the likes of Shane Williams and Lee Byrne are dangerous when given space. If you get things wrong against them, you are in for a long day."

McCaw was this week accused by the former Australia coach Bob Dwyer of serial cheating at the breakdown and profiting from the failure of referees to penalise him. But he has been shown a yellow card against Wales before and was penalised a number of times during the World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in Cardiff in October 2007.

"I am not worried about what people say about my play at the breakdown," said McCaw. "It is a simple area of the game but because things happen so fast and referees have so little time to decide who is doing what, confusion sometimes arises and there are different interpretations. The bottom line is that the further you get across the advantage line, the simpler it becomes."

New Zealand's head coach, Graham Henry, is back in the country where he was head coach for four years from 1998. He admitted yesterday that he had feared the World Cup would mark his last experience of the Millennium Stadium.

"I did not think I would be coming back as the All Blacks' coach immediately after that game," said Henry. "Everything was in a state of flux. What has happened since is a long story which has been told a million times and I do not intend to make it a million and one. I have had some positive times in Cardiff and some disappointments."

Henry's sole change from the victory over Ireland is enforced: the centre Conrad Smith has a groin injury and is replaced by Richard Kahui. The front row will be finalised later in the week.

The Welsh Rugby Union yesterday appointed the 44-year-old former England attack coach Joe Lydon as head of rugby development and performance. Wigan's chairman and owner, Ian Lenagan, voiced his regret at losing Lydon's services as performance director.

"We are disappointed that Joe is leaving but take it as a compliment that the Welsh Rugby Union have taken note of the innovative performance development work being done in rugby league at Wigan and the quality of our people," he said.

Bristol are looking for new investors to help stem losses which are running at £1m a year. "We are talking to several groups," said the club's chief executive, Steve Gorvett. "We are feeling the pinch but we are not alone - all Premiership clubs are below budget and industry estimates of the combined losses for this year range between £12m and £20m. It is likely to be a tough winter on and off the pitch."

New Zealand Muliaina; Rokocoko, Kahui, Nonu, Sivivatu; Carter, Cowan; Woodcock or Tialata or Afoa, Mealamu, Woodcock or Tialata or Afoa, Thorn, Williams, Kaino, McCaw (capt), So'oialo. Replacements Flynn, tbc, Boric, Read, Weepu, Donald, Toeava.

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