All Blacks in for busy week off the field in Milan

LAWRENCE SMITH/Fairfax Media

HAPPY HENRY: All Blacks coach Graham Henry whistles a merry tune at the end of the match.

Related Links

Despite score, All Blacks sound warning All Blacks surprised by Carter citing Brad Thorn hopes for 'money time' against Italy Fans and players lap up spectacle in Italy Dan Carter ready to state his case over tackle

Relevant offers

Rugby

Beaten Highlanders happy to escape unscathed Colin Cooper extends Taranaki contract Blues make it three from three with win Super teams prepare for mid-season interruption Barnes tightens up in Waratahs trial Defending champ Reds thrash Force in warm-up Henry to mentor coaches ahead of Olympics Hurricanes looking for a confidence-boost Flynn's sore toe opens door for MacDonald Chiefs ready to show they have what it takes

Off-field distractions have quickly set a tricky tone for the All Blacks' stay in Italy.

First five-eighth Dan Carter will make an unwelcome and unscheduled trip back to London tomorrow to face the RFU's judiciary.

However, before Carter leaves the world's fashion capital he will fit in an adidas get-together with Italian football stars Diego of Juventus, Christian Brocchi of AC Milan and Matri of Cagliari.

It's a dizzying start to the week, but it has nothing on events that will follow Carter's return, suspended or otherwise. On Thursday five All Blacks and coach Graham Henry will pair off with contestants from Italy's Next Top Model television show to cook a meal for charity.

Will Mils Muliaina, Andrew Hore, Anthony Boric, Andy Ellis and Ma'a Nonu be able to keep their eyes on the ball this week? And did anyone mention a rugby test?

Locals were in a lather well before world rugby's top billing jetted in from Cardiff to the rain-drenched Lombardia region. Eighty thousand tickets to San Siro Stadium sold out months ago for between 10 and 100 and for a moment an oval ball team will steal the limelight from Milan's AC and Inter.

Ironically, the All Black best known to the football-mad sporting public Milan is unlikely to play.

The All Blacks enlisted a top London lawyer to represent Carter at today's hearing, but the main goal will be to get him on to San Siro Stadium this week. It will be to preserve the star playmaker for England and France in the weeks to come.

One only hopes England's Jeff Blackett does not have an agenda as one-eyed as the Welsh when he ponders Carter's high tackle.

All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said the citing was not the ideal start to test week.

"It provides something else for you to do during the week, doesn't it."

Hansen wouldn't say whether Carter had been pencilled in to play against Italy.

"We haven't picked the team yet, so we will just wait and see. Now that we are in this hearing we don't know, so we'll just have to go through this process.

"Until we know if he's available we won't make that decision. There will be changes because we've decided we want everyone to play and this is an opportunity."

Hansen's non-committal stance is a smart move.

Though Henry has already indicated this side was mainly picked a month ago, any hint that Carter was on a rest week could sway Blackett to make a potential one-match ban more meaningful by pushing it into the following week.

Hansen is hopeful the diversions of Milan will be cancelled out by the excitement of what will be an historic occasion.

"There are not too many guys who have been to Milan, so that's exciting.

"The fact that they know they will play in front of 80,000 people, that's exciting too and that the ground has so much history to it."

The All Blacks have never played in Milan before, their four previous tests have been in Rovigo, Bologna, Genova and Rome.

- © Fairfax NZ News