Rugby's World Cup is set to become a farce - with Portugal promising to send out a "B" team against the All Blacks during pool play.

Coach Tomaz Morais last night confirmed he will rest his first-team players for the Pool C encounter in Lyon on September 15 because he wants them as fresh as possible for the battle of the minnows against Romania 10 days later.

Morais said he would rest his stars because he wanted to "manage the players and the team so they could prevent an excessive weariness of the players."

Sunday News columnist Laurie Mains - the last man to lead the All Blacks into a World Cup final - said Portugal's decision was something akin to a bad joke.

"This is further proof that the organisers of the World Cup have spoilt the tournament by increasing the number of teams from 16 to 20," Mains said.

"In 1995 we played Japan, Ireland and Wales in our pool. Two of those were very good games.

"If you compare that with the All Blacks' pool this time around it's a farce. That's the only word to describe it.

The decision will make little difference to the All Blacks but, significantly, Portugal become the second team in the pool who are not even bothering to try and combat the might of the favourites.

Sunday News revealed in June that Scotland coach Frank Hadden, will rest his top side so his players are fresh to face Italy a real threat for second place in the pool. This robbed the All Blacks whose other pool opponents are Romania of credible tests before a quarterfinal on October 6 against France, Ireland or Argentina.

"One does have to ask the question if the All Blacks should have had two or three more serious games since the Tri Nations," Mains said. "Scotland playing a 'B' side has taken any good games out of the group phase."

Sunday News has been told Portugal's first-string players are angry Morais will rest them from what would have been a career highlight. But Morais is determined his team who play the All Blacks in between tests against Scotland and Italy has the best chance to defeat the Romanians and register their first World Cup win.

"It is impossible to combat the All Blacks but we will play with pride and courage against the ones who usually are the players' heroes," Morais told Sunday News.

It is unlikely to matter which team Graham Henry fields at the Felix-Bollaert Stadium because a massacre is on the cards.

Australia's 142-0 thrashing of Namibia in 2003, the biggest winning margin for a World Cup, will be threatened as will New Zealand's 145-17 demolition of Japan in 1995. That score is still the highest in history with Marc Ellis's six tries and Simon Culhane's 45 points standing in the history books as the most scored by an individual in a World Cup match.

Meanwhile the inclusion of minnows like Portugal, Namibia and Georgia at the New Zealand-hosted 2011 World Cup will be up for discussion in Paris on October 17.

Sunday News understands the IRB will vote in favour of reducing the number of teams from 20 to 16.

Sunday News