NEWSDESK: The All Black coaching panel have shuffled their duties for the Northern Hemisphere tour, with Graham Henry to marshall the forward pack, Wayne Smith picking up the defense, and Steve Hansen taking responsibility for Milo. “It’s a chance for us to grow the group’s skill base,” said Graham Henry. “Wayne will develop his rush and man on man defense patterns, and Steve will be working mainly on putting the milk in first. He’s very excited about the move into hot drinks, and obviously brings his Welsh Horlicks experience to the table.”

“There’s very little between the teams at this level, and ultimately, winning or losing could come down to a favorite mug from home or forgetting the sugar. I’ve been practicing my Milo micro-skills at home, and Mrs Hansen has been pretty positive,” said a bullish Hansen, who didn’t see the change from masterminding line outs to overseeing malted barley energy drinks as a step outside his comfort zone. “It’s pretty simple – when Wayne and Ted are running video sessions, I’ll be in the kitchenette. We’re clear on our roles. Luckily I fully inspected the Zip and Fridge facilities in Europe on the 2008 tour, so I’m ahead of the game already. I found an awesome travel kettle in the Kathmandu sale too, in case someone wants one on the bus. I’ve got all bases covered.”

All Black captain Richie McCaw denied rumors that player power was behind the change: “It’s a surprise to me, I thought Steve would get the bus driving job to be honest. I’m happy with it, though, he does make a mean Milo – that time he found a spare packet of Gingernuts in Pretoria would have definitely counted in his favor.”