Wallabies to rest Super Rugby stars

Players of national interest will be rested for up to two Super Rugby Pacific games next year as part of a load management plan designed to keep players fresh in a World Cup year.

The ACT Brumbies are set to feel the pinch more than any other Australian Super Rugby club with Allan Alaalatoa, James Slipper, Nic White, Rob Valetini and Pete Samu all among the Wallabies' top tier playing group.

Rennie has used 50 players at Test level this year and - while the resting policy is not born out of the current injury crisis - he is desperate to avoid a similar scenario which has left Taniela Tupou racing the clock to be fit for the World Cup after becoming the fourth Wallaby to have ruptured his Achilles tendon this year.

Tupou's injury is set to place pressure on Wallabies officials to carefully manage props Alaalatoa and Slipper, which could force Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham to turn to Sefo Kautai, Tom Ross and Fred Kaihea to lighten the load.

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"Our biggest area of concern is the front-rowers with Slips and Allan. They're talking about [Tupou] rupturing his Achilles, so that's going to put a bit of pressure on the front-row stocks at the moment," Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson said.

"For us, it's a balancing act because we've got so many Wallaby-contracted players. It's going to have the biggest impact on us, and that's where you need to have depth in your squad.

"It's great having that amount of Wallabies in your program, but it also gives your players who have been training for a period of time game time next year.

"It's guys who have been in the Wallaby program and our program, who have played big minutes in the Tests, who will have a period, whether it be one or two games, when they can't play. They might have to rest in trial games too."

Rugby Australia officials have provided clubs with a draft of which players they want rested during the Super Rugby season.

Rugby Australia chief Andy Marinos says the Wallabies' injury toll will be analysed in an independent review as Rennie flags changes to the national team's program.

"With the amount of injuries we have, we'll have a good look into what's caused some of those," Rennie said. "Some are bad luck and others, if it's something we're doing within our program, then we need to adjust."

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