Given the ex-Chiefs player wants to earn his first international cap with Wales and prove why he should be considered for the World Cup next year, that's no bombshell.

But it's what will happen over the next few months that makes this storyline so interesting.

Anscombe, who prefers No 10 but will debut for his new Cardiff club at fullback against Edinburgh this weekend, has no option but to fly the flag for Wales when they meet the All Blacks at Millennium Stadium on Sunday morning; because if the New Zealander started blowing the All Blacks' trumpet he would risk being ostracised by the natives barely a week after his arrival.

The 23-year-old, who qualifies through his Welsh mother, began his rugby initiation here by joining 61,000 other fans to watch the test against Fiji at Millennium Stadium a few days later.

It was an awful game for Wales but Anscombe isn't stupid; he wasn't going to criticise the men he hopes to play with.

"Obviously New Zealand is a passionate place but you only have to go to the test on Saturday to find out how passionate the Welsh people are," Anscombe said.

"There was an unbelievable atmosphere in the stadium and it was pretty special to be a part of. That pressure is pretty similar to what we have in New Zealand, which I quite like as well."

Anscombe, who played his final game in New Zealand for Auckland last month, hopes to catch up with his mates in the All Blacks later this week but won't watch them play because he will be flying with his new team-mates to Edinburgh.

So, Gareth, where does your heart lie?

"It is a little bit of a tough one because I have friends in the All Blacks team. But I guess I have come over here to one day play for Wales, so I am sure it would be a fantastic occasion if the Welsh got up on Saturday."

Anscombe, who has been put up in a serviced apartment in Cardiff while he and his Serbian girlfriend Bubanja look for a flat, never played for the All Blacks.

Although he hadn't recently spoken with Wales coach Warren Gatland, Anscombe met him when he visited the United Kingdom a year ago.

"You wouldn't expect any guarantees at the level and he just sort of talked about what they are trying to do," Anscombe added.

"He just presented their case. They have got a young team as well and you would think in future years they will be a pretty exciting prospect."

There was also discussions with Chiefs coaches Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith, who understood his desire to head offshore, and his father, Mark, who had been coaching Irish club Ulster until his contract was recently terminated.

Earning a test cap as early as the Six Nations appears possible, especially if Gatland wants to get a look at how Anscombe handles test footy ahead of the World Cup.

"I guess once you leave you can see how big the rest of the world is. I spoke to a few other boys that made a similar move and they only had positive things to say.

"Europe is such a big place and you are only a train ride from another country at times. It's going to be pretty cool to get travel around at times."

Stuff.co.nz