All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will sit out the opening rounds of the Super 14, rather than exercising the "sabbatical clause" in his NZRU contract that could have seen him miss a whole series.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder last night said it would be the "last real opportunity" McCaw would get for an extended break before the 2011 World Cup.

McCaw will take an extended holiday following the Northern Hemisphere tour and will rejoin the Crusaders' camp for the beginning of their Super 14 campaign, a derby against the Highlanders in Christchurch on February 13. However, he will not be considered for selection until the round four home match against the Blues on March 6.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said this was not a cottonwool case and that he and McCaw have talked about it since the beginning of the year.

"Richie's actually got a sabbatical clause in his contract, so he's got the right to take the whole Super 14 off," Blackadder said.

"To his credit he doesn't want to do that. He wants to play."

In the recent past Daniel Carter's ill-fated sabbatical took him to Perpignan where he ended up tearing his Achilles tendon. Ali Williams is currently enjoying extended time off before joining the Blues next year.

McCaw's arrangement is similar to that of Mils Muliaina at the Chiefs. The experienced fullback has decided to sit out the first three rounds, which will see the Chiefs travel to Durban, Johannesburg and Perth before returning to Hamilton's cosy embrace.

"[Richie] recognises that he really needs to look after himself. On reflection, I think it's a really positive thing. He doesn't want extended time off, he wants to play but he needs that first three weeks to make sure he is fit and is raring to go," Blackadder said.

"He's not skiving off anywhere, he will be with us for the duration of the campaign, he will train alongside the team, he just will not be available to play until March."

There was no suggestion McCaw was nursing injuries that might need attention, rather Blackadder said it was more a case of freshening up mentally.

This has not been a vintage year for the All Blacks, with the team facing a mountain of criticism for their failure to retain the Tri-Nations and having reverted to a conservative game plan.

"I think feeling mentally fresh is as important as being physically fresh. He's just such a massive contributor. I know how much he puts into the Crusaders and I have no doubt he puts more into the All Blacks. He's a busy man off the field, too, so if he can come back from Europe and not feel he has to rush back into training, we will all benefit from it."

To put it into perspective, McCaw played just seven games for the Crusaders last year due to a combination of injuries, so it is not as if Blackadder is new to adjusting to life without McCaw.

George Whitelock, who made his debut for the All Blacks this winter, will get further opportunities at openside, while Kieran Read will fatten up his captaincy portfolio.

"He's been looking for more leadership responsibility," said Blackadder. "As has Dan Carter."

Further north, it is expected Liam Messam will captain in Muliaina's absence, though a Chiefs spokesperson said no final decision had been made.

By Dylan Cleaver | Email Dylan