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Chiefs to face Sunwolves without All Blacks trio

Anton Lienert-Brown. (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

The Chiefs are preparing to face the Sunwolves in Hamilton this weekend without the services of All Blacks trio Anton Lienert-Brown, Nathan Harris and Nepo Laulala.

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That was the verdict from head coach Colin Cooper today, who told TVNZ that his three test stars are being forced out of contention due to the management of the All Blacks’ game time in the opening three rounds of Super Rugby as the World Cup looms.

Despite this, Chiefs co-captain and All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick will be available for selection, albeit for only 33 minutes of the contest.

“Nathan Harris, Anton Lienert-Brown, Nepo Laulala are all having All Black rests,” Cooper said.

“He’s [Retallick] got minutes that we can use. We had a plan to take him off in the Brumbies game, but obviously Michael Allardice got injured. He had to play the whole 80.

“It would have been better to play more minutes in this game in front of his home crowd, but we’re on limited minutes because of the All Blacks.”

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With the World Cup just over six months away, players apart of the national set-up are being restricted to just 180 minutes of action in the opening three rounds of Super Rugby as part of a broad plan to avoid player burnout as the season progresses.

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Other protocols being put in place to protect New Zealand’s top players in Super Rugby includes not playing them for more than five consecutive games and giving them two games off, excluding the two byes.

In the first two matches of the season, Lienert-Brown has clocked up 141 minutes of action, while Harris and Laulala have played 107 and 100 minutes, respectively.

The Chiefs will have to attempt to secure their first win of the season without their test stars, after falling to the Highlanders and Brumbies in their opening two clashes of the year.

Tensions rise between Cheika and Super Rugby clubs:

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Nickers 18 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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