Spying has become such a part of Test rugby that Graham Henry, the All Blacks coach, said yesterday he had added security to the portfolio of his assistant Steve Hansen, a former policeman.
Henry, who had just unveiled his team to play Australia on Saturday, denied he was worried about Wallaby spies but said he had given Hansen the job because "he's conscious of those things".
"I was (in Australia) with the Lions in 2001 - some of you may remember; interesting experience - where we did have some people there who shouldn't have been there," said Henry, who was also the Wales coach at the time.
Yesterday his side were protected by security guards when they trained at a Brisbane school.
"Everywhere we train now we have security people - one, to make sure that people don't get in there who shouldn't be there and might disrupt the training and, two, to make sure that it's kept to ourselves rather than shared with the opposition," he said.
Hansen was more specific, again making allegations about All Black training sessions in England last autumn.
"For me that's one of the things that's gone wrong in the game," said Hansen, who usually concerns himself with the All Black forwards. "There's no doubt that it happens and we saw that last year before the England game when we had two guys dressed in camouflage gear with video cameras. They were not there working for newspapers."
At the time England denied the allegations, Andy Robinson suggesting it was one coach trying to wind up the other.
Henry has made seven changes from the side that beat South Africa 35-17 in Wellington on Saturday, but only one from the starting XV that beat Australia 32-12 a week earlier.
The experienced lock Ali Williams replaces the 23-year-old Jason Eaton. The scrumhalf Piri Weepu, who was injured against South Africa, is replaced on the bench by Jimmy Cowan.
"Australia won by an impressive margin in their last Tri-Nations match," Henry said of the Wallabies' 49-0 rout of the Springboks two weeks ago.
"They have a great record in Brisbane. It is a critical Test for the Tri-Nations series as well, so there's plenty to play for."
Michael Owen will miss Wales's autumn Tests against New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands and Canada. The 25-year-old number eight is to have surgery on a shoulder.
NEW ZEALAND: L MacDonald; R Gear, M Muliaina, A Mauger, J Rokocoko; D Carter, B Kelleher; C Hayman, T Woodcock, K Mealamu; A Williams, C Jack; J Collins, R McCaw (capt), R So'oialo. Replacements: A Hore, G Somerville, J Eaton, C Masoe, J Cowan, L McAlister, I Toeava.
