Intro:

Members of New Zealand's All Blacks went swimming with sharks on Friday (September 5th), ahead of the team's Rugby Championship clash with Argentina in Napier.

Script:

As if wrestling with the Wallabies of Australia in their first two games of the 2014 Rugby Championship wasn't tough enough, On Friday, All Blacks Beauden Barrett, Keven Mealamu and Charlie Faumuina went swimming with sharks.

The trip to the National Aquarium of New Zealand came ahead of Saturday's third game of the campaign, against Argentina; a match in which Barrett will make his first All Blacks start at fly-half.

A tough guy on the field, Mealamu admitted the prospect of getting up close and personal with a school of sharks had given him more than a little cause for concern:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Keven Mealamu, New Zealand prop (on swimming with sharks):

"(I) Found it hard to sleep last night! But it was really good fun and.... yes, something I've never done before, so, it was awesome."

While their team-mates were diving in at the deep end, several other All Blacks attended a signing session for their fans.

Asked if he had considered taking part in the trip to the National Aquarium, winger Julian Savea was rather confident in his reply:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Julian Savea, New Zealand winger:

Q: "You didn't go swimming with the sharks?"

"Hell no! Hell no! I would not go swimming with the sharks in my life. Never."

New Zealand head into the game with Argetina sitting second in the standings behind South Africa following a win and a draw in the two games against Australia.