Hansen wants a Welsh scalp
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has singled out Six Nations champions Wales as the biggest scalp for his team on their year-end tour.
Hansen coached Wales between 2002 and 2004, and he admitted that the clash at the Millenium Stadium will have some added spice given his history with the Welsh national team.
He told Walesonline: "It is a rare thing and it is always nice going back to Wales. It is a special place for me and I felt as if I had 25 years of experience in three seasons.
"It was a good time because I learned a lot and met some great people. But it is like anything and they (Wales) are the ones you want to beat the most. So let’s hope we go over there and put in a performance that we can be proud of," he said.
Although the All Blacks' winning streak was stopped by a draw with the Wallabies in Brisbane, Hansen feels that none of the matches on their tour will lack for intensity as they look to extend a decade-long unbeaten run on European tours.
"I think people should look to enjoy these occasions playing Wales and England because they are going to be rippers. Wales will be really backing themselves to put one over on us.
"Those are the types of challenges you need at this time of year because it has been a long 12 months and you need something to get you motivated.
"Our fans have huge expectations but you would not want that to change anyway. It is those expectations which have set the scene for every All Black team in our history.
"If the fans’ expectation is high, the players and coaches have to set that level of expectation even higher. That has helped created the legacy we have today," he explained.
Before the All Blacks take on Wales they will have to square up to Scotland this weekend, and Hansen knows that Andy Robinson's side will look to make life as difficult as possible for them on Sunday.
Hansen said that the addition of his former Wales assistant Scott Johnson to the Scotland coaching staff has made them a much bigger threat.
"Scotland have a new coach who has joined them and since then they have beaten Australia and Fiji.
"Andy Robinson and Scott Johnson are both reasonably sharp. We will get a physical test from them but we are also expecting them to have a more expansive game now they have Johnno on board," he said.
