Henry plan creates fan concern
Canterbury Rugby Supporters Club president Dick Tayler claims Crusaders fans could turn their back on the Super 14's dominant side if their star players miss the 2007 competition.
New Zealand coach Graham Henry's plan to omit 22 key players from the competition's early rounds to preserve their fitness for the World Cup will badly affect the defending champions. Under the plan, Crusaders and All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, Reuben Thorne, Chris Jack, Greg Somerville, Dan Carter, Aaron Mauger and Leon MacDonald will all be sidelined.
Tayler told The Press: "A lot of people are disappointed in this decision. What worries me is that some people might think they will give the games a miss because the key players are not playing. We have to be careful because there are so many other things that people can do and they will think about giving the first half of the Super 14 a miss."
