All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie confirmed that he does not plan to include star playmaker Richie Mo'unga in the squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, which will be named the 'Great Rivalry' series.
The All Blacks team is actively preparing for the upcoming tour to South Africa. However, Rennie told journalists on Thursday that Mo'unga will not be in the list of 44 players who will be selected for this prestigious visit.
Mo'unga served as New Zealand's tactical playmaker in the last two World Cups. Nevertheless, due to strict New Zealand Rugby selection rules, he could not participate in competitions since moving to a Japanese club in 2023.
Although the 32-year-old player has returned home and signed a contract with New Zealand before the next World Cup, he remains unavailable for international selection until October, when his domestic provincial season concludes. There were earlier suggestions that the coaching staff would try to accelerate Mo'unga's return for the South Africa series.
However, Rennie stated that he has accepted the current situation, although he noted that Mo'unga might be called up for the tour if another playmaker gets injured. He emphasized: 'He won't go on this tour, so we are ruling that out. If the ten gets injured, then Richie becomes an option for us. But for now, he will just come back and play to be in great shape, in case there is an opportunity to come to Africa, he will be ready.'
Rennie added that he does not need proof of Mo'unga's readiness for international appearances, as he closely monitored the player's phenomenal form while working as a coach in the Japanese league. Before the first trial match on August 22nd in Johannesburg, the New Zealand team will play against teams from the United Rugby Championship in South Africa—Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls.
The coach reported that every player will have an early chance to fight for a spot in the squad, but revealed that the selectors already have a preferred lineup in mind. 'We talked a lot. We chose the first four squads for the first four games in Africa,' he said. 'So we thought a lot about where we want to see the guys. Everyone can play in the first week, so it's an opportunity for everyone to fight for spots.'
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie made five changes to the team's starting lineup for the Nations Cup match against Italy. He also altered the bench composition.
Leroy Carter unexpectedly earned a spot in the starting six at left wing for the upcoming match in Wellington, replacing Caleb Clarke. Billy Proctor was also included in the squad at outside centre. Furthermore, prop Tyrel Lomax, lock Tupu Va'a, and flanker Wallace City were added to the fifteen players.
Among the six new faces on the bench are German-descent forward Anton Ziegler and winger Josh Murphy, both of whom could make their debut. Rennie noted that some players and combinations deserve a second consecutive appearance, while others received a chance due to merit.
Rennie emphasized that the team is 'strong' and expresses 'respect' for Italy. He added that since Italy has shown the ability to beat any team within the Six Nations tournament, they have prepared for a difficult encounter. It should be noted that Italy has never managed to defeat New Zealand in 17 previous attempts; the teams last met in Turin in 2024, where New Zealand won 29-11.
Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt admitted feeling 'anxiety' after naming newcomer Declan Meredith as the starting playmaker against France. This decision was made amid injuries to Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson.
The twenty-seven-year-old playmaker from the Brumbies was first included in Australia's squad before the Nations Cup against Ireland last week but did not make the bench then. Now he leads the ten in the upcoming Brisbane match, as Gordon and Donaldson, who played last week, are out with calf strains.
Schmidt stated that 'suddenly finding oneself in such a situation is a big ask.' He clarified that Declan spent about ten days with the team, which allowed him to gain confidence and provide some continuity. However, he added that he always has concerns about someone new coming onto the field and having to lead the game, noting that 'it is very difficult to achieve stability' due to the large number of changes at the playmaker position.
Gordon will also miss next week's match against Italy. The long-term prognosis for Donaldson, who conceded two critical late penalties in the demoralizing loss to Ireland 33-31 in Sydney, remains uncertain. Meredith will play alongside familiar Brumbies teammate Ryan Longerman at scrum-half against the French side, which lost to New Zealand 34-32 in the Nations Cup.
Schmidt concluded that the team has worked hard to improve after missed opportunities last week and is confident they can perform better on Saturday, knowing they will face the reigning Six Nations champions.
