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Last Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2007, 09:23 GMT 10:23 UK
Henry slams under-strength tours
Graham Henry
Henry has named a strong All Blacks team to face France
New Zealand coach Graham Henry has criticised northern hemisphere sides for touring with under-strength squads.

England, Wales and France have all gone on tour this summer without a host of their top players.

Henry, who has named a full-strength side to face France in Auckland on Saturday, is unimpressed.

"When sides are coming to this side of the world that are not as strong as they should be - that's not good for the game," he said.

"The IRB [International Rugby Board] needs to lead very strongly and work with the clubs in Europe to ensure we preserve this great game.

"At the moment there's not a lot of sign of that.

"The All Blacks team that went to Europe last November was the best All Blacks team we could put on the track."

We're holding up our end of the bargain, we're showing a lot of integrity there

Graham Henry

The French squad has been decimated by absentees because the final two weeks of their domestic championship overlaps with the tour.

Coach Bernard Laporte, who is set to name his starting 15 on Wednesday, named 14 uncapped players in his 26-man squad.

"We're holding up our end of the bargain, we're showing a lot of integrity there. We're putting the international game first but it's not a good situation at the moment," Henry continued.

"To have the French competition's semi-final and final over the next two Saturdays, for me that's organisational chaos for the game.

"How can the international board and the French federation not have their heads together on that one? These things need to be talked about and solved. The game's bigger than that."

England, shorn of at least 30 senior players, lost by a record 58-10 to South Africa in the first Test in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

606: DEBATE

Wales omitted 18 first-choice players from their squad for the two Tests against Australia, but acquitted themselves rather better, with a 29-23 defeat in Sydney on Saturday.

And many of Ireland's top stars, including Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Gordon D'Arcy and Paul O'Connell, were rested for the two-Test tour of Argentina. Ireland lost the first Test 22-20 in Santa Fe.

New Zealand's second Test against France is in Wellington on 9 June. On Saturday, England face South Africa in Pretoria, Wales play Australia in Brisbane and Ireland take on the Pumas in Buenos Aires.

SEE ALSO
France veterans face All Blacks
29 May 07 |  Rugby Union
England delay team announcement
28 May 07 |  English
South Africa 58-10 England
26 May 07 |  English
Australia 29-23 Wales
26 May 07 |  Welsh
Argentina 22-20 Ireland
26 May 07 |  Irish


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