The New Zealand coach Graham Henry will not be making his players available to appear for their provinces in the build-up to the three-Test series against the Lions next month.

The decision of Henry, the Lions' coach in Australia four years ago, means Clive Woodward's squad will have a less-rigorous preparation for the Test series than any of their predecessors in New Zealand. When the Lions were last in New Zealand 12 years ago, they took on full-strength provinces such as Canterbury, Otago and Auckland, but the majority of the players they encounter before the first Test will be semi-professionals.

Henry will be releasing players to represent New Zealand Maoris against the Lions in Hamilton on June 11th, in what will effectively be a fourth Test, but otherwise he wants to keep his squad together. "We only have one international before the first Test against the Lions and that is against Fiji," said Henry. "With the Super 12 series still going on, we will not have that much time together and we face the danger of going into the opening Test underdone.

"When the Lions were in Australia, we had a couple of mismatches to start, but then we faced their three Super 12 series and the national A side, who were all strong opponents.

"That won't be the same for the Lions in New Zealand. It is their first visit in the professional era and the game has changed: the strength of our rugby is no longer the provinces, but the five Super 12 teams, none of whom are playing the Lions. It is a different ball game from when the Lions were last here: Auckland was like a fourth Test for them."

On paper, the Lions have a difficult itinerary with fixtures against Otago, Wellington and Auckland among their eight matches outside the Tests.