Another day, another All Black rides into town. Hot on the heels of Luke McAlister, Carl Hayman and Rico Gear, Leicester yesterday welcomed Aaron Mauger, the New Zealand inside centre, who promptly stated his intention to make his debut in Saturday’s crucial Heineken Cup match against Toulouse at Welford Road.

“I hope to play and I’ve told the coach I’m available,” Mauger said. “I’m getting to know the Leicester calls now and settling into a routine with the training, so I’m just looking forward to getting out on the pitch.”

Marcelo Loffreda, the head coach, will name his team tomorrow for a match that Leicester cannot afford to lose, having suffered defeat in their opening pool six match against Leinster last month. That was the last game before Loffreda assumed control and they have since won three matches, conceding only one try.

But the former Argentina coach knows that the game against Toulouse, the front-runners in the Top 14 in France, could be one of the key matches of his first season in charge. “It’s a massive game,” Loffreda said. “It will be very difficult for us to qualify for the quarter-finals if we lose.”

Mauger, 27, who won 45 caps for the All Blacks, has moved from the Crusaders on a 2½ year contract worth about £600,000. Having arrived at Leicester on Monday last week, he has put in a week’s training and could hardly ask for a more mouth-watering introduction than the collision of two Heineken Cup heavyweights.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge,” he said. “A lot of people in New Zealand watch the Heineken Cup and it’s a pretty similar level to the Super 14 in terms of intensity.”

Mauger’s World Cup came to a sad conclusion when he was surprisingly left out for New Zealand’s quarter-final defeat by France, a loss that resulted in Graham Henry, the coach, being forced to reapply for his job. His main rival for the post is Robbie Deans, the Crusaders coach, and Mauger believes that a change could benefit New Zealand.

“Robbie would be my pick,” he said. “He’s is in the prime of his coaching career and, if he got the opportunity to coach the All Blacks, he’d do a great job.” A decision is expected this week.