Welsh to restrict players to 20 matches

Wales' leading players will be limited to 20 appearances for their clubs next season.

The national coach, Steve Hansen, believes the plan will limit the effects of burn-out in the build-up to the World Cup next October. "It's important we don't hammer our players, we can't go on thrashing our best players or they'll run out of steam," he said.

Hansen was speaking at the launch of a revolutionary new plan where bonus points for every competition apart from the Welsh League will count towards Heineken Cup qualification.

New Zealand's record Test try-scorer, Christian Cullen, has been dropped by the Kiwis for Saturday's Tri-Nations Test in Durban against South Africa.

Cullen, with 46 tries in 57 Tests, is replaced at full-back by Leon MacDonald in the one change by the coach, John Mitchell, from the side that lost 16-14 to a last-kick penalty by Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

In the one other change to Saturday's 22 announced yesterday, the winger Jonah Lomu returns to the bench hoping he will have the chance to end his try-less run against South Africa in what would be his 13th appearance against them.

The All Blacks lead the Tri-Nations standings on points difference from Australia. The Wallabies play South Africa in the final match of the series a week later in Johannesburg.

The domestic game in New Zealand continues to undergo a complete overhaul. The New Zealand Rugby Football Union lost face after failing to win sub-hosting rights for the 2003 World Cup and the country's provincial teams are keen to have a change of direction. A proposal to oust the entire board has received the unanimous support of the country's 27 provincial unions.

Mike Eagle, the Canterbury chairman who is acting as a spokesman for the provincial unions, said yesterday: "The board accepted full responsibility for the actions of the [former] chief executive and chairman in the lead-up to the rights being taken away. Having accepted they were fully aware of proceedings and accepting accountability, the members must now resign as a consequence."