adminCape Town — Eight All Blacks will be rested for the opening round of this year’s Super Rugby tournament. According to an agreement with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), players can be rested at any time during the tournament, but the Blues, Crusaders and Chiefs have opted to do it in the opening round starting on Friday, February 13, which sees the Blues host the Chiefs and the Crusaders at home to the Reds.
New Zealand Rugby medical staff and high performance manager visited the five Super Rugby franchises last week to map out a management plan.
The Highlanders (who have a bye in Round 1) and Hurricanes (who head to South Africa to face the Lions) will rest their All Blacks later in the season.
Players who will miss Round 1 include Blues hooker Keven Mealamu and lock Patrick Tuipulotu; Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick, loose forward Liam Messam and flyhalf Aaron Cruden; as well as Crusaders lock Sam Whitelock, No 8 Kieran Read and fullback Israel Dagg.
Whitelock and Read won’t return to the Crusaders until Round 5 after exercising their mini-sabbatical clauses while All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will likely link up with the camp by February. However, Dan Carter has expressed a desire to return to action early. — Sport 24
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