All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen believes that there should be an extended off‑season following concerns about player fatigue.

The All Blacks defeated the Wallabies 37‑20 in Yokohama on Saturday but still have to play four more games before their break.

They take on Japan, England, Ireland and Italy in their northern hemisphere tour but Hansen would like to see the players given more rest.

Hansen says they can’t keep going round and round and round without running out of petrol and at some stage they have to recharge the tank.

He says the one thing he would really want is that everyone gets 16 weeks’ break between their last game and their next one.

New Zealand go head‑to‑head with Japan this weekend before facing England and Ireland over consecutive weekends, two teams that are likely to provide their sternest challenge in November.

Eddie Jones’ England side is particularly struggling with injuries and suspensions, however, and Hansen believes that they are still suffering the repercussions of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour.

The All Blacks will face Japan at 5.45pm this Saturday.

[Source: Planet Rugby]

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