The New Zealand Rugby Union and the All Blacks have got it right.
If the main target this year is winning the World Cup then every energy and focus has to be channelled in that direction.
The NPC may be the greatest provincial competition in the world, but it is also a hindrance when it comes to fine-tuning the All Blacks and giving them the optimum chance of repeating the great deeds of 1987.
If the country really wants to be single-minded about taking out the tournament, an event which happens once every four years, then adjustments have to be made.
Of course there will be contrary arguments from those who will say that players need to perform in the NPC to keep their condition and match-hardness. That contention does not wash with me.
It is outdated and woolly thinking. What the squad needs is time together, serious preparation without the rush or interruptions caused by them trying to fit in NPC matches as well.
Not so long ago, I was fortunate to hear Warriors coach Daniel Anderson address a gathering of Barbarians rugby club members. I had never met or heard him before, but his ideas made a huge impact on the crowd.
He considered there were three elements which had to be right if the All Blacks wanted to give the World Cup a serious shake.
Anderson felt New Zealand covered the first two easily - there was an abundance of player talent and there was also good depth in the coaching resources.
But he thought the big failure in the All Blacks' programme was their lack of preparation, the lack of time the coaching staff had with the players.
He could not believe the short spells the All Blacks staff had with their team.
When you look at how Australia and England do things, they have their test squad in camp for long periods, making sure they get things right. Even if they fail they can say they have given their campaigns 100 per cent.
However, we expect the All Blacks to have everything right in a hurry.
Everything gets condensed, ideas are rushed and the side suffers.
In 1995 we had some training camps, but, from memory, they were only weekend meetings, while in 1999 we had a decent amount of time but nothing like the six to eight weeks that a side like the Wallabies might have in going through their moves, walking and talking their way through their patterns.
In the amateur days the All Blacks were professional, but the rest of the rugby world has caught up and we need to be doing more preparation.
I think we have got some outstanding players and have as good a chance as any nation of winning this World Cup. But we have to put in some serious preparation and that was why I was delighted to see we will be concentrating on that with a group of about 45 players during the NPC.
<i>Robin Brooke:</i> It's crucial we give squad time to prepare
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