KEY POINTS:
The three-cornered hat that is Sanzar will today wrestle with their latest drama about the Springboks sending a makeshift squad offshore for their two Tri-Nations tests.
Officials from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the television paymasters News Ltd will hold a telephone conference call to debate the issue after complaints from the NZRU and ARU about Jake White leaving the bulk of his frontliners at home to rest and recuperate.
NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs said he had received personal assurances from the SARU chairman last week that the Springboks would select their strongest squad and Sanzar had emails confirming that intention.
"I have to be careful not to pre-empt the call," he said. "Obviously concerns around the announcement and the decision made by South Africa will be expressed and discussed.
"Whether there can be any meaningful outcome or change to that which has been announced is probably doubtful."
South Africa, meanwhile, issued a statement saying they had nine injured players and the others not chosen were exhausted from their Super 14 campaigns and two domestic Tri-Nations internationals.
Hobbs accepted that player welfare issues had to be addressed with their needs for breaks from heavy schedules and that New Zealand were not lily-white in this World Cup season.
The NZRU had commissioned a reconditioning programme for their All Blacks during the Super 14 but Hobbs said they gave notice to Sanzar and did it at a time when they felt it would be less disruptive.
"I think there are some differences here but we understand the welfare issues and concerns."
The latest chapter in player withdrawals would be discussed at the November summit with the International Rugby Board. The ARU has been vociferous about the impact on their gates, revenue and promotion and want compensation for the Springboks test against the Wallabies next weekend in Sydney.
"Obviously the ARU ... have taken a very, very strong position on this. We haven't been as strong and we have to be careful I guess to be frank, to be open to accusations of hypocrisy given we had a conditioning programme. This has given Sanzar a bit of a rattle," said Hobbs.
He said he spoke with the SARU chairman in Durban last week and was told speculation about South Africa sending an inferior-quality side was incorrect.
