All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen says that New Zealand will put its strongest possible team out when playing Wales at Cardiff in November, after rumours suggested that several younger players would be blooded in the match.

Hansen said there was no basis for the rumours and that Wales was seen as too big a scalp to risk experimentation this year.

"Barring any injuries in training between now and then we will be bringing pretty much our strongest squad," Hansen told the Wales on Sunday newspaper.

"We've blooded as many players as we need to blood at this time, so it will be a relatively experienced squad that travels."

Wales haven't beaten the All Blacks in 56 years but they will fancy their chances in 2009 after New Zealand's ordinary year, by its own standards, and Hansen is well aware of the threat.

While the home season had been disappointing for the way the All Blacks had been dominated by the Springboks in the Tri Nations, they had finished well against Australia.

Hansen had been impressed with the development of Welsh flyhalf Stephen Jones during the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa and said he had played as well as he had ever played at international level.

"He showed great ability with the ball in hand and made the Lions backline tick.

"I'm looking forward to seeing him again, although we won't want him playing that well against us in Cardiff," he said.

Hansen also said that centre Jamie Roberts had caught his eye and he was looking forward to the tour.

"It's always a great occasion and I know for a fact that our boys are especially looking forward to playing in Marseille against the French and in Cardiff against Wales," Hansen said.

Reflecting on the lineout problems, especially in the last Test against the Springboks, Hansen said while it hurt at the time it was not something that would happen again.

"We talked about it and when the players play next time, they will be that little more experienced and certainly more aware," he said.