Rugby: Steve Hansen - All Black camps are not ideal

Steve Hansen...admits he's not a completely happy camper. Photo / Photosport

Steve Hansen says Hurricanes' complaints about All Black camps are on the money but has called for the Super teams to get on with the job.

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has led the public revolt, describing the forced removal of All Blacks during game weeks as short of high performance standards, particularly as those players were central to any team's planning. New Chiefs coach Colin Cooper has taken a contrary view, and said "it is what it is".

The All Blacks will take players away from their Super Rugby franchises for at least four midweek camps but they will be available for the matches. Hansen claimed it was an unavoidable situation.

"Unfortunately with the season structure you've got to have some preparation to play an international team the standard of France," he said at the Halberg Awards.

"Otherwise you risk underperforming and the expectation is we win. It's not an ideal situation for Super teams and players, we know that, and it's not an ideal situation for us to have no preparation time...we work through a process.

"We've come to an agreement, it is what it is. It's not ideal for anybody and we're supportive of each other hopefully.

"At the end of the day we have to adapt and adjust. Let's just get on with it and do the right thing by the players."

On the continuing departure of players overseas, Hansen said: "Last year we (All Blacks) had 19 replacements. You need depth to keep doing what we are doing, and we are fortunate to have a talented pool of people. The downside is everybody else wants to come and buy them."

He said New Zealand had to, in effect, develop players for the France, England and Japan markets in order to keep some for themselves.

"The old adage about wanting to develop one...we have to develop four, one for us and one for each of those other environments," he said.

"I can't say enough about what people below All Black and Super Rugby are doing to raise talent level.

"It hasn't got to the point its disastrous, the contracting people are doing a magnificent job, there is a massive desire to pull on the black jersey.

"While that's still there we will still keep coming out on top on the talent side of things but we know we will keep losing some."

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