Bumper All Blacks squad all part of World Cup planning
Kiwis coach Steve Hansen open about his strategy of adding an additional 19 players to his 32-strong main squad
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has made no secret at all of the way he prepares for the Rugby World Cup, and hence the selection of 19 additional players to join his squad ahead of their Test against Japan in November is only the continuation of a long-standing policy. After the Test against Australia in Yokohama on October 27, at least 22 of the 32 players in the main squad will head to Europe, with the additional 19 players joining the rump of the party in Tokyo to prepare for the Japan match on November 3. The additional players, 10 of whom are uncapped at Test level, will then return home while the main squad members travel on to London to rejoin their teammates preparing for matches against England, Ireland and Italy. The extended numbers give Hansen the opportunity to try out personnel and tactics, as well as get everyone a bit more accustomed to the conditions the All Blacks will face when they return to Japan for the 2019 World Cup. "We are trying to simulate as much as possi...
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