New Zealand coach Graham Henry welcomed new All Blacks Brendon Leonard and John Schwalger into the fold with a warning that they must hit the ground running.
Leonard, the Chiefs scrum-half, and Hurricanes prop Schwalger were the surprise inclusions in the Kiwis’ Tri-Nations squad, who will warm-up for the tournament with games against France and Canada.
Henry said: "Brendon has been the best attacking half-back in the Super 14 this season and has forced his way into the side based on form, while John’s ability to play both sides of the scrum was a key factor for us.
"We’re focused on finding our form as fast as possible and then we want to build on it. We are looking to improve on where we were last year and there’s a lot of work to do."
