Better players than Donald - Henry

Stephen Donald. Photo / Getty Images

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has all but ended Chiefs first five-eighth Stephen Donald's hopes of playing at the Rugby World Cup.

The All Black selectors today have given a glimpse of their preferences for this year by naming a group of players for the first of two training camps ahead of the Tri-Nations.

Twenty-five players have been named for a two-day camp in Wellington next week.

Wynne Gray's form NZ Super 15 team

Donald, who has played 22 tests for the All Blacks, isn't among the players in the list which includes fellow no.10s Colin Slade and Aaron Cruden.

Henry told media today that he broke the news to Donald yesterday and said there were better players in the first-five position.

"Difficult obviously because he's been a very positive member of that group for some time. He's a great guy to have in the team. Hugely well organised at training. We just think there are other people playing better right now.

"Unless we have injuries he's unlikely to be involved."

Henry said Colin Slade will play club rugby this week for Old Boys in Christchurch before playing in a Ranfurly Shield game next week against North Otago.

After missing most of the Super 15 due to two broken jaws, Slade will be assessed ahead of the All Blacks first test of the year against Fiji on July 22.

"He'll have a programme and we'll see over the next weekend where he's at. He would have come off the bench for his club in the weekend and then played a Ranfurly Shield game and played other shield games, I assume, and ITM Cup games and we'll be able to access where he's at.

Henry meanwhile has plenty of praise for Cruden who showed a lot of tenacity after a poor start to the season.

"I think he's showed a lot of guts really. He had an indifferent start to the year and he's got better and better. I think it shows that he's got the heart for it, the courage for it and he's also improved his kicking game.

"He's got more length in his kicks out of hand and he's had a high percentage of goal kicking over the last month or six weeks.

"He's been a threat with the ball. He's creative with the ball. We just enjoy his tenacity and what he's brought to the Hurricanes game, we think he's made a big difference there.

Those named in the training squad are from Super 15 teams who did not qualify for the finals playoffs, meaning Crusaders and Blues personnel are missing.

Other former All Blacks who are not in the squad are Highlanders prop Jamie Mackintosh and Chiefs trio Tanerau Latimer, Mike Delany and Lelia Masaga.

Mackintosh played one test for the All Blacks on the 2008 Grand Slam tour. Delany has also played one test, against Italy in 2009, while Latimer made five test appearances in 2009.

Masaga played his one test against Italy in 2009.

The second camp is to be held in Wellington on July 5-6.

The first All Blacks squad for the season are to be named on July 10.

Henry said the camps gave the selectors the chance to assess where candidates were at following their respective teams' participation in the Super 15.

"... these players are in contention for selection so we were keen to monitor their progress as well as further develop their skills," he said.

New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens, who recently led his side to their ninth world series title, is to conduct a training run on the second day of next week's camp.

Injured trio Israel Dagg, Tony Woodcock and Isaia Toeava have been named to attend that camp, with Henry explaining that gave All Blacks medical staff the chance to assess those with injuries.

The players invited to the first camp next week are as follows:

Chiefs: Ben Afeaki, Hikawera Elliot, Richard Kahui, Brendon Leonard, Liam Messam, Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu.

Hurricanes: Aaron Cruden, Hosea Gear, Andrew Hore, Cory Jane, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Neemia Tialata, Victor Vito and Piri Weepu.

Highlanders: Jimmy Cowan, Tom Donnelly, Jarrad Hoeata, Colin Slade, Ben Smith and Adam Thomson.

Injured players: Israel Dagg, Isaia Toeava and Tony Woodcock.

- NZPA/HERALD ONLINE