The All Black coaches say that they will not be taking their players out of Super Rugby in 2011 as they did in 2007 when they implemented their reconditioning programme.

Back in 2007 All Black players were removed from the Super 14 for 7 weeks of the tournament which led to much criticism.

In 2011 the Super 14 will be expanded to a Super 15 which means more matches for the players in Super Rugby but All Black assistant coach Steve Hansen says that they won’t make the same mistakes as they did in 2007.

“I don’t think we will be taking anyone out of the Super 14 (Super 15 in 2011) – that was a disaster in terms of the competition,” All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said.

“I think it was great for the athletes but we know it just doesn’t do the competition any good so we won’t be doing that.”

“We will have to find other ways of doing it and we are scratching our heads as to how to do that.”

The 2011 Rugby World Cup has exactly two years to go and the All Blacks management have already had a planning meeting for their tournament strategies, reports rugbyweek.co.za

Graham Henry and his management group have been confirmed to take the All Blacks through to the Cup in New Zealand in 2011 where the All Blacks are hoping to improve on their quarter-final exit at the last tournament in France.

Modern rugby players can only play so much rugby and SANZAR keeps expanding their tournaments in order to get more money from the broadcasters, so something has to give as the players increasingly need rest.

Hansen suggested that an option that could be used would be to rest All Blacks after next years Tri-Nations. There is an eight week gap before the All Blacks End-of-year Tour in the Northern Hemisphere.

This means that the All Blacks would be pulled out of the Air New Zealand Cup which is a level below the Super 15.

Hansen says he believes a player like Richie McCaw would be able to operate at the peak of his powers at the World Cup, only if managed properly and pointed out that this wasn’t solely the job of the All Blacks.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility. Richie McCaw will definitely survive it if he can find a window where he can recharge his batteries.”

Hansen also revealed that the All Blacks’ World Cup planning had already started.

“We have had one meeting and it was outside of this Test – you wouldn’t do it in a Test week.”

“You have to have some forward planning, strategic planning.”

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s sport or business, you can’t just operate in a vacuum of today. But obviously you don’t want to lose today either.”

“We are two years out so there has to be some thoughts going into what we are going to be doing, where we are going to be doing it and who is going to be doing it.”

“But it’s not a biggie – you might have a day planning on it and get back to what we are doing here.”

Hansen said little thought had been given to playing personnel at this stage.

“I don’t think you are looking at players, you are looking at how you are going to set your campaign up.”

“As you get closer you start looking at players”

Some of the contents here are curtecy of Rugbyvaria.

When should Peter De Villiers rest the Boks? Should they rest at the end of the year tour or in the s14/s15?

One can be assured that our local Super Franchises will be happy to rest Boks in a competition of such stature and importance.

With the Super 14 expanding to the new format there will be even more rugby to be played. Players will need rest and must be managed properly to peak at the 2011 World Cup.