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Dublin - Irish captain and centre Brian O’Driscoll has again denied any talk of international retirement, saying that he will hopefully be part of an Ireland team they will want to crate history against the world champions.
According to the allblacks.com website, first up though for Ireland is the Six Nations, with a kind 2012 draw which sees them play Wales, Italy and Scotland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin - opening with the Welsh on the first weekend, while France will wait in Paris the following weekend, while the Irish end the championship with a London visit.
Then the new June Test series beckons, featuring the SANZAR nations hosting a Northern Hemisphere heavyweight for three-Tests.
The All Blacks will host Ireland, while the Wallabies welcome Wales (as well as Scotland for one Test) and the Springboks will entertain England.
The New Zealand Rugby Union is still to confirm the full 2012 home Test schedule, but Ireland will be the first major Test for the newly crowned world champions.
In 24 Tests the All Blacks have never lost to Ireland, with the Emerald Isle’s best result being a 10-10 draw in Dublin in 1973.
O’Driscoll said to the Irish Independent that another trip to New Zealand would again potentially yield a great prize.
"The great thing is that there's always a carrot (first the World Cup, now a first ever All Blacks scalp) there," he said.
"I know it's a three-Test tour down in New Zealand, which is no easy feat, but to be able to go down and hopefully do something that an Irish team hasn't done before excites me and it excites other guys."
The Irish veteran, who is returning to action for Leinster, said he felt he had a few good years left in him yet.
"Just because you get to a certain age it's 'oh, he should go now'," O'Driscoll said.
"People were trying to retire me when I was 29 but I still enjoy it too much and still feel as though I have something to offer, and as long as I have something to offer and coaches want to select me, well that combination is important enough for me to continue to play on.
"Maybe I'm not as quick or as sharp as I used to be in the past, but I think I have other attributes that I didn't have back then, so it's about trying to maximise what you do have."
According to the allblacks.com website, first up though for Ireland is the Six Nations, with a kind 2012 draw which sees them play Wales, Italy and Scotland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin - opening with the Welsh on the first weekend, while France will wait in Paris the following weekend, while the Irish end the championship with a London visit.
Then the new June Test series beckons, featuring the SANZAR nations hosting a Northern Hemisphere heavyweight for three-Tests.
The All Blacks will host Ireland, while the Wallabies welcome Wales (as well as Scotland for one Test) and the Springboks will entertain England.
The New Zealand Rugby Union is still to confirm the full 2012 home Test schedule, but Ireland will be the first major Test for the newly crowned world champions.
In 24 Tests the All Blacks have never lost to Ireland, with the Emerald Isle’s best result being a 10-10 draw in Dublin in 1973.
O’Driscoll said to the Irish Independent that another trip to New Zealand would again potentially yield a great prize.
"The great thing is that there's always a carrot (first the World Cup, now a first ever All Blacks scalp) there," he said.
"I know it's a three-Test tour down in New Zealand, which is no easy feat, but to be able to go down and hopefully do something that an Irish team hasn't done before excites me and it excites other guys."
The Irish veteran, who is returning to action for Leinster, said he felt he had a few good years left in him yet.
"Just because you get to a certain age it's 'oh, he should go now'," O'Driscoll said.
"People were trying to retire me when I was 29 but I still enjoy it too much and still feel as though I have something to offer, and as long as I have something to offer and coaches want to select me, well that combination is important enough for me to continue to play on.
"Maybe I'm not as quick or as sharp as I used to be in the past, but I think I have other attributes that I didn't have back then, so it's about trying to maximise what you do have."
