The All Blacks Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald and Jamie Mackintosh have escaped serious injuries in an incident where they were reportedly attacked by a group of skinheads.

The New Zealand Herald reported that the trio were assaulted by a group described as "skinhead redneck types" in the early hours of 29 December after a Blacks Seeds concert at the Coroglen Tavern on New Zealand's North Island.

Sean Campbell, a local taxi driver, witnessed the attack and later took the players back to their hotel in his vehicle.

Campbell said Donald was set upon after a dispute broke out over where the rugby players were standing.

"It was like an ambush," he said. "Six or seven of these guys surrounded them and started laying into them. It was like these guys were looking for a fight, a scalp, they knew who they were. They [the All Blacks] did nothing to provoke it and they didn't even fight back."

At one point during the three or four-minute altercation, Mackintosh had to cover Donald with his body to protect him.

Mackintosh and Cowan's agent, Tom Downey, spoke with the players on Monday. "Unfortunately, dealing with these sorts of incidents was a fact of life for high-profile people," he said.

"It's probably a good example of the potential for high-profile people to be the target of a certain group of people. It's something all high-profile sports people need to be aware of."

The All Blacks manager, Darren Shand, praised the players for the way they handled themselves.

"We haven't been in touch with the players as yet but from the reports, it appears they did the right thing and got themselves away from a dangerous and difficult situation," he said.