Super 14 list still a mystery

An announcement about those All Blacks who will bypass a large chunk of next year's Super 14 has been delayed.

With the Tri-Nations campaign complete, the intention was to reveal this week the select group of 22 players who would undertake conditioning programmes during the early stages of the Super 14.

The All Black panel wanted to give the Super 14 coaches plenty of time to adjust their selection strategies to cover for unavailable players. However, that concept has been postponed.

Neither NZRFU chief executive Chris Moller nor his deputy Steve Tew was available for comment but a spokesman confirmed there would be no list revealed this week.

The glitch suggests the NZRFU has some way to go to persuade News Ltd, who paid $664m to renew a five year broadcasting deal for the Super 14, that it is appropriate to remove All Blacks from the competition.

The NZRFU trumpeted its scheme last month as a special deal to get an extended squad into peak condition for the sixth Rugby World Cup.

However, News Ltd said it had not been consulted about the idea and made noises about legal action to protect its investment.

Moller subsequently agreed there needed to be some dialogue. So far there appears to be no resolution.

"There is no announcement this week," NZRFU communications manager Brian Finn confirmed yesterday. "We are still working through the process."

When the plan was first publicised, coach Graham Henry admitted he wanted the 22 All Blacks to be exempt from the entire Super 14 series.

However, after consultation with the board, Sky, sponsors and the Players Association, that proposal was reduced. Players were scheduled to return in the eighth round in April after undergoing individually tailored conditioning schedules.

"Sports science research and our coaches tell us that the players need a continuous window when they can do the necessary physical conditioning work without the rigours of playing top-level rugby at the same time," Moller said.

"The challenge has been to find that window."

The NZRFU did not want to remove players from the end-of-year tour to Europe, which is a trial run for the next World Cup. Nor did it want to exclude them from the 2007 Tri-Nations series.

Moller said the NZRFU was determined to give the All Blacks every chance of winning the World Cup.

A replacement 22 players would be drafted into the Super 14.

Neither Sanzar partner South Africa nor Australia has followed New Zealand's example, although Springbok coach Jake White has spoken regularly about his players' fatigue.

There have been negative reactions from Australia, which would struggle to replace 22 and still run four squads in next year's competition.