Is it just a little bit cheeky or have the mind games started already?
The Daily Mail newspaper in London broke the story yesterday, suggesting England would wear a black away strip when it begins its campaign against Argentina in Dunedin on September 10.
All Black captain Richie McCaw was reluctant to get drawn too deeply into the debate when he spoke to the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"Oh well, obviously they like playing in black," he said, sounding mightily unimpressed.
"It is one of those things. From a player's point of view it is stuff you don't get too caught up in. You just get on with it.
"Hopefully, they will wear white if we have to play against them."
The All Blacks open the 2011 season against Fiji at Carisbrook on Friday. So far the test has proven a hard sell, with ticket sales reaching just 10,000 earlier this week.
But there are plenty of reasons to get along to the venue. It will be the last test at the grand old ground, it is the only time the All Blacks will play in the South Island this year, and the game is for a good cause with the profits going to the Christchurch earthquake fund.
Most importantly, McCaw said, the team needed the support of the fans.
"I know playing Fiji is a little different to playing South Africa or Australia. But from our point of view it is an important game to set up the year and get things sorted," he said.
"To have that support will be pretty cool. It would be nice if we can get plenty of people along."
