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All Blacks ease into Super 15

Cape Town - Eight All Blacks will be rested for the opening round of this year's Super Rugby tournament.

READ: Super Rugby 2015 fixture list

According to an agreement with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), players can be rested at any time during the tournament, but the Blues, Crusaders and Chiefs have opted to do it in the opening round starting on Friday, February 13, which sees the Blues host the Chiefs and the Crusaders at home to the Reds.

New Zealand Rugby medical staff and high performance manager visited the five Super Rugby franchises last week to map out a management plan.


The Highlanders (who have a bye in Round 1) and Hurricanes (who head to South Africa to face the Lions) will rest their All Blacks later in the season.

Players who will miss Round 1 include Blues hooker Keven Mealamu and lock Patrick Tuipulotu; Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick, loose forward Liam Messam and flyhalf Aaron Cruden; as well as Crusaders lock Sam Whitelock, No 8 Kieran Read and fullback Israel Dagg.

Whitelock and Read won't return to the Crusaders until Round 5 after exercising their mini-sabbatical clauses while All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will likely link up with the camp by February.

However, Dan Carter has expressed a desire to return to action early.

NEW ZEALAND 2015 SUPER RUGBY SQUADS:

BLUES

Josh Bekhuis, Luke Braid, Joe Edwards, Charlie Faumuina, Blake Gibson, Jerome Kaino, Will Lloyd, Steven Luatua, Keven Mealamu, Matt Moulds, Brendon O'Connor, James Parsons, Greg Pleasants-Tate, Sam Prattley, Culum Retallick, Peter Saili, Angus Ta'avao, Hayden Triggs, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Tony Woodcock, Pita Ahki, Dan Bowden, Jimmy Cowan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Frank Halai, Bryn Hall, Simon Hickey, Ben Lam, Tevita Li, George Moala, Melani Nanai, Hamish Northcott, Charles Piutau, Francis Saili, Matt Vaega, Lolagi Visinia, Ihia West

CRUSADERS


Wyatt Crockett, Joe Moody, Tim Perry, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala, Ben Funnell, Codie Taylor, Ged Robinson, Luke Romano, Sam Whitelock, Dominic Bird, Jimmy Tupou, Scott Barrett, Luke Whitelock, Richie McCaw, Matt Todd, Kieran Read, Jordan Taufua, Alex Hodgman, Tom Sanders, Jed Brown, Andy Ellis, Willi Heinz, Mitchell Drummond, Daniel Carter, Colin Slade, Tom Taylor, Kieran Fonotia, Ryan Crotty, Robbie Fruean, Nemani Nadolo, Jone Macilai, Johnny McNicholl, Nafi Tuitavake, Israel Dagg, Richie Mo’unga, David Havili, Nathaniel Apa

CHIEFS


Ben Afeaki, Michael Allardice, Johan Bardoul, Sam Cane, Aaron Cruden, Mike Fitzgerald, Leon Fukofuka, Hosea Gear, Mitchell Graham, Nathan Harris, Bryce Heem, Andrew Horrell, Tevita Koloamatangi, Michael Leitch, Anton Lienert-Brown, James Lowe, Pauliasi Manu, Tom Marshall, Rhys Marshall, Damian McKenzie, Quentin MacDonald, Jamie MackIntosh, Marty McKenzie, Liam Messam, Charlie Ngatai, Sean Polwart, Brodie Retallick, Augustine Pulu, Toni Pulu, Liam Squire, Matt Symons, Seta Tamanivalu, Ben Tameifuna, Siate Tokolahi, Maama Vaipulu, Brad Weber, Sonny Bill Williams, Tim Nanai-Williams

HIGHLANDERS


Kane Hames, Pingi Tala’apitaga, Ma’afu Fia, Ross Geldenhuys, Josh Hohneck, Brendon Edmonds, Liam Coltman, Ash Dixon, Tom Franklin, Joe Wheeler, Alex Ainley, Mark Reddish, Dan Pryor, Gareth Evans, John Hardie, Shane Christie, Nasi Manu, Elliot Dixon, Aaron Smith, Fumiaki Tanaka, Marty Banks, Lima Sopoaga, Hayden Parker, Trent Renata, Shaun Treeby, Jason Emery, Malakai Fekitoa, Richard Buckman, Waisake Naholo, Patrick Osborne, Ben Smith, Kurt Baker

HURRICANES
Ben Franks, Mark Abbott, Geoffrey Cridge, Dane Coles, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Jeremy Thrush, Brad Shields, Ardie Savea, Victor Vito, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Cory Jane, Jason Woodward, Reggie Goodes, Motu Matu'u, John Schwalger, Christian Lloyd, Matt Proctor, Callum Gibbins, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Chris Eves, James Broadhurst, Beauden Barrett, Iopu Iopu-Aso, Blade Thomson, James Marshall, Chris Smylie, Vince Aso, Reynold Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo


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