Coach coy over All Black players

By CHRIS RATTUE

Canterbury are keeping their plans for returning All Blacks under wraps.

Captain Mark Hammett and Daryl Gibson return to the starters for tomorrow's match against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua, and Chris Jack and Greg Somerville are lurking on the bench.

But coach Aussie McLean said he would make a detailed announcement next week on just how the rest of the test players would blend into the champions' line-up.

McLean wanted to rest Somerville and Jack this week, which suggests that if Canterbury have a substantial lead against the Bay those two will have very limited or no game time.

McLean said: "I would have preferred to give Jack and Somerville the whole game off but circumstance didn't allow that.

"In Mark Hammett's case, he's had only 20 minutes of football in the past six weeks. He is as keen as mustard."

There is enormous difference in recent game time for the All Blacks returning to their various provinces.

At one extreme is Waikato's Marty Holah, who hasn't started a game since the All Blacks played Italy in Hamilton 11 weeks ago, and who has played a total of 60 minutes since then.

Most of the Canterbury players have had heavy workloads, which is determining when McLean brings them back in.

Gibson's return has influenced the decision to move promising national Colt Daniel Carter from second to first five-eighths in place of Charlie Hore.

McLean said it was a golden opportunity to let Carter play with the on-field tutelage of Gibson at hand.

Canterbury crushed Bay of Plenty 72-3 last year, but McLean said: "We had to make more tackles against Bay of Plenty than any other side last year and now they have a bit more firepower out wide."

Among the outside back recruits for the Bay is wing Jason Tiatia, who is on loan from Canterbury.

Bay of Plenty coach Vern Cotter, whose injury concerns eased yesterday, has brought in Tongan front rowers Taufa'ao Filise and Aleki Lutui for some early firepower. But he has lost flanker Dave Dillon, who has had to go to Ireland to register with his new club team.

It's uncertain if and when Dillon will return.

Cotter suggested he might use Canterbury's decision to leave their All Blacks out as a motivational point.

"They obviously see this game in Rotorua as an opportunity where they can do that.

"But the sight of Canterbury jerseys will be motivation enough for our players."