Henry explains Read omission

Rest required: Kieran Read has been told to take a break

Despite utterly dominating the Super 14, the champion Crusaders provide just seven players in New Zealand coach Graham Henry's first mix of the year hastily preparing to face Ireland in Wellington on Saturday.

The sixth-placed Blues provided more players to the squad with eight, while there was five each from the Hurricanes and Chiefs and just surprise package flanker Adam Thomson from the Highlanders.

Henry said he and assistant coaches Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith selected all their teams through the close analysis of individuals.

Therefore they could recognise if a candidate was made to look good by the team he played in, indicating that Thomson's performances with the struggling Highlanders were fairly judged against those of Crusaders blindside Kieran Read, who was a surprise omission.

"With the method we use, hopefully if a team's not so dominant we're still going to see a player doing the right things," Henry told NZPA.

"That's what Adam Thomson did, for example, week after week in the second half of the Super 14.

"Playing in a dominant side like the Crusaders have been is an advantage because that gives guys good opportunity, good confidence.

"Hopefully by watching individuals we overcome that problem."

Read appears to be a victim of the Crusaders' success and having played too much rugby. Henry said the 22-year-old, who was in his second year of the Super 14, needed a rest.

"When you select sides you select the age of these guys and how much Super 14 rugby they have played," said Henry.

"It is Kieran's first big Super 14 season and I think that takes its toll."

But Henry still praised Read and strongly suggested he would be picked for the end of year tour if his progress continued.

"And I think he needs to regroup and set his sights for the end of year tour," added Henry.

"I think that will be helpful to him and I think he will play better rugby by doing that. That is our opinion.

"We are not talking about his form. We are talking about playing 14 or 15 Super 14 games in three months, then playing three Test matches on end and playing South Africa and Australia.

"Is that the best thing for him right now? We see him as a long-term All Black hopefully.

"We think he will be a better player for a wee bit of space and then build for that end of year tour."

The Crusaders players were allowed to join the squad a day late but Henry said he had no plans to necessarily rest them as they had all come through the final well.

Among them was recalled lock Brad Thorn, 33, whose form had been exceptional considering he has not long returned from three years of rugby league with the Brisbane Broncos.

"Quite frankly, I wondered why he was coming back to rugby," said Henry.

"I know why he was coming back now. He's been superb, he had an outstanding Super 14.

"I think he's got all the bits and pieces that are required in the package and he also loves to scrum. That's a rare commodity."

Thorn and Thomson were two who would have barely registered in Henry's pre-Super 14 thoughts.

Others to have staked their claims strongly in the four-month tournament were the five other new caps alongside Thomson - Blues lock Anthony Boric, Chiefs fly-half Stephen Donald, Chiefs centre Richard Kahui and Blues wingers Anthony Tuitavake and Rudi Wulf.

Henry said this week would provide a major challenge as he sought to balance the training load between those players whose season ended three weeks ago and the likes of the Crusaders, who have played non-stop for nearly four months.

"You just get that mix right so you don't overcook the guys who played the final," Henry said.

The amount of game time for Daniel Carter's fly-half back up Donald will be of interest.

Smith said Donald won out over Crusaders talent Stephen Brett because of his extra physicality.

"He (Donald) showed under pressure that he can come back and win a game. He was pretty resilient throughout the season," Smith said.

"Stephen Brett's a hugely talented young player. A bit of space, a bit of time and he's got a big future.

"I like his running lines and attacking nous at inside centre. It's fair to say he's still developing that attacking tackling game that you need at twelve, so probably at this stage he's more suited to number ten."

Smith said the selectors would lean towards established combinations at Westpac Stadium on Saturday, meaning Hurricanes team-mates Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith will probably provide a home-town midfield duo.