Having made a mockery of the France team last Saturday the All Blacks have this week gone on a public relations offensive. It was most notable on Wednesday evening, when 20 of the side turned up at Stade de France to cheer on Les Bleus - the round-ball version - in their 1-0 win in the friendly against Greece.

In honour of the home side they donned blue jerseys. On Monday they were clad in pink, for training with Stade Français. Today, however, they are back in black, back at the Stade de France and fully expecting the backlash from their hosts after Saturday's record 47-3 victory in Lyon.

"We are expecting France to be a lot better. They would have hated to be smacked like that," said the New Zealand backs coach, Wayne Smith. "They had to make some changes. It shows they're being proactive. They look as if they've stiffened up the attack. We expect them to take us on up front and be aggressive."

Even in fielding what their head coach, Graham Henry, describes as their best side - and with a total of 532 caps it is the most experienced All Black side ever - New Zealand can still afford to experiment at centre, where Ma'a Nonu switches inside and makes a rare start, with Mils Muliaina moving from full-back to outside-centre.

"The last thing we want is to be predictable," said Smith, and in the centre the All Blacks have been anything but as they have looked for a replacement to the indispensable Tana Umaga. The combination has been changed 16 times in a row and the strength in depth here is such that Rico Gear, Aaron Mauger, Luke McAlister and Conrad Smith all champ at the bit.

Nonu played strongly against England at Twickenham and made a big impact in the final 20 minutes last Saturday at Lyon but he is more frequently used as an impact player. He plays for the Hurricanes at inside-centre but tends to play outside for the All Blacks. The plan, clearly, is to prepare him to cover both positions next autumn in the World Cup.

The experimental centre pairing is the only area that can give France any grounds for hope. The All Black back row remains the same as in Lyon, Byron Kelleher returns at scrum-half, in the front row the props Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock are joined by Keven Mealamu at hooker, while the Tri-Nations pairing of Chris Jack and Al Williams return in the second row.

Stade de France teams

France

15 P Elhorga Agen

14 A Rougerie Clermont

13 F Fritz Toulouse

12 Y Jauzion Toulouse

11 C Heymans Toulouse

10 D Traille Biarritz

9 JB Elissalde Toulouse

1 O Milloud Bourgoin

2 R Ibañez Wasps, capt

3 P de Villiers Stade F

4 L Nallet Castres

5 P Papé Castres

6 J Bonnaire Bourgoin

7 R Martin Stade Français

8 E Vermuelen Clermont

Replacements D Szarzewski (Stade Français), S Marconnet (Stade Français), L Jacquet (Clermont), S Betsen (Biarritz), D Yachvili (Biarritz), D Marty (Perpignan), C Dominici (Stade Français)

New Zealand

15 L MacDonald Canterbury

14 J Rocokoko Auckland

13 M Nonu Wellington

12 M Muliaina Waikato

11 S Sivivatu Waikato

10 D Carter Canterbury

9 B Kelleher Waikato

1 T Woodcock N Harbour

2 K Mealamu Auckland

3 C Hayman Otago

4 C Jack Tasman

5 A Williams Auckland

6 J Collins Wellington

7 R McCaw Canterbury, capt

8 R So'oialo Wellington

Replacements A Hore (Taranaki), N Tialata (Wellington), J Eaton (Taranaki), C Masoe (Taranaki), A Ellis (Canterbury), N Evans (Otago), L McAlister (North Harbour)

Referee C White (England)