Before The Rugby Championship kicks off in August, the All Blacks and Wallabies will entertain Ireland and Wales respectively, in the June International test window that will take place between round 15 and 16 of the 2012 Super Rugby season.
SANZAR News Service
This will present interesting challenges for the SANZAR nations, combining Super Rugby with test action, and as soon as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier domestic tournament concludes, then we shall toast history with the historic beginning of The Rugby Championship.
New All Blacks coach Steve Hansen met with the New Zealand Rugby Union this week and agreed on a specific squad assembly timetable leading into their three-test series against Ireland.
With the World Champions first test being at Eden Park on June 9, the first squad selection of Hansen’s tenure will occur after round 12 of Super Rugby (May 13), and will then take his players into camp. Both will run from Sunday to Tuesday on consecutive weeks after round 12 and 13, running from May 13 to May 15, and May 20 to May 22, respectively.
The All Blacks will then assemble on June 3, the day after Super Rugby wraps up for a month.
The test coaches for the World Champions have arguably more time with their players than any other country, and it seems that their careful relationship between the All Blacks and their Super Rugby franchises will continue.
The All Blacks are still to confirm their preparations for The Rugby Championship in terms of squad naming and training camps.
The Wallabies will not follow the All Blacks lead, with coach Robbie Deans continuing the mantra that he will not be directly involved with the Australian outfits.
Not only do the reigning Tri-Nations champions play three-test matches against Wales, but will sneak in an opening fixture against Scotland on June 5, with that test scheduled for Tuesday night.
One small advantage is that the Reds and the Force take a bye on round 15, meaning that in theory they could assemble as early as May 27.
However the Rebels and Brumbies play in an Australian Conference derby in Melbourne, while the Waratahs play the Hurricanes in Sydney on June 2 – meaning that three franchise’s worth of Wallabies will have only two or three days before the Scottish test.
At this stage the Australian Rugby Union has not specified a player release or training camp to prepare for the June Internationals.
Wallabies players not involved in the Super Rugby Final’s Series will go into camp from July 21.
The All Blacks and Wallabies will open The Rugby Championship on August 18.