By CHRIS RATTUE
Waikato rugby coach Kiwi Searancke says it is a "blow and a disappointment" that the Ranfurly Shield-holders have failed to get any players in the All Black squad.
He says the province is taking steps to try to ensure that they join the elite ranks in the domestic game when it comes to national selection.
Waikato's performances in the NPC and Ranfurly Shield have often not been reflected when it comes to All Black selection time.
Searancke said Waikato had a history of having only fringe selections and while he believed some of their players had been unfairly overlooked in the past, he had little complaint this time.
It was imperative that the province not only find ways of ensuring their best players won test selection, but also that they stayed here, he said.
"If I put my Waikato hat on then I think we have been hard done by over the years.
"Even into the 90s we had a fairly powerful side, but only Richard Loe was really a starting test player.
"I feel disappointed for players such as Mark Ranby, who must have gone very close, Royce Willis, Bruce Reihana and Rhys Duggan. But without being nasty, I suppose the way the Chiefs went didn't really help them," Searancke said.
"What is a big concern for Waikato is that if you go through the selections for the New Zealand under-19 and under-21 sides, the Maori team and the All Blacks, we are badly under-represented for the size of our province.
"This is not a new problem, either. Even when our players get to All Blacks level they don't seem to stay there - in recent times there have been players such as Todd Miller in that category.
"There certainly is tremendous commitment in the province to do something about it.
"We have to look at the models set by Canterbury and Otago and Wellington and learn from that."
Searancke said the union was placing a lot of faith in the new development academy, headed by Dennis Brown. While it had concentrated on players within the region initially, it was now looking at outside recruitment.
The coaching development work being done by John Mitchell was also vital.
But Searancke said he and the union also felt a heavy responsibility to reignite the test hopes of players such as Willis, whose omission will have particularly hurt Waikato supporters.
The powerful lock was expected to form a long test partnership with Canterbury player Norm Maxwell.
Searancke said Willis believed his form was not good enough to win selection, and the Waikato coach will work on changing the lock's playing style.
"Royce tends to crash straight into people and we are looking very carefully at how we use him in games and things like the lines he runs.
"I still think he can be one of our locks at the next World Cup.
"Some very serious injuries didn't help him last year, but in saying that, he didn't put the performances together this year.
"He has a tremendous work-rate but he didn't quite reach his own very high standards.
"He is a little bit angry about it all and very determined.
"I see it as my and Waikato's responsibility to make sure that players such as Royce are not only selected for the All Blacks, but stay there," Searancke said.
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