Exasperated All Blacks legends ‘dumbfounded’ by NZ Rugby who are missing ‘perfect’ opportunity with Richie Mo’unga
Returning All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo'unga and Test centurion Mils Muliaina.
Jeff Wilson and Mils Muliaina are immensely frustrated that NZ Rugby are refusing to budge on their stance in regards to the returning Japan-based All Blacks.
Despite Dave Rennie’s desire to see Richie Mo’unga involved as soon as possible, the governing body have put their foot down and insisted that he can only become eligible after featuring in the NPC for Canterbury.
Currently, October’s Bledisloe Cup encounters are the earliest he can feature for the national team, but most observers, including Wilson and Muliaina, want that changed.
Ex-All Blacks duo’s message to NZ Rugby
Both believe that, even if they can’t play initially, it would be far more beneficial for Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell, who has also re-signed, to be involved in the All Blacks camp.
“They need to be with the All Blacks and I’m talking from experience here knowing that training with the All Blacks, 15 minutes of 15 on 15 versus multiple NPC games, you will get so much more benefit out of that in terms of preparation,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“The sooner that a Shannon Frizell, Richie Mo’unga can get into the environment to prepare themselves for what is going to be coming up for them.
“They’ve been contracted to play in big games, it will be so much more beneficial. For me, even before they have to play this ‘NPC game’ so they’re available, get them into training.
“You might have to pay them but that’s an investment of them getting back on the field sooner rather than later.
“Some of those Thursday trainings, some of those Tuesday trainings, when you go at it, you’re competing for a little bit of an edge, a spot, but for what’s coming up, the All Blacks environment is the perfect place for these guys to get ready.”
Muliaina was particularly exasperated and can’t understand why NZ Rugby refuse to change something they have complete control over.
“Put them in there, put them in the environment. What’s the benefit of this rule that they’ve got to play an NPC game? It’s our own rule, it’s not a global rule. Come on,” he said.
“The other side of that is they’re going to take guys’ spots [at NPC level], only to what? Tick a box so they can go to South Africa?
“I think they need to be in the environment. You’re doubling down on this and it’s a rule they can actually change. I’m dumbfounded as to why they don’t just roll with it.
“They’re coming back and they’re going to be in the All Blacks environment, so why do they need to tick this box when it’s our rule?”
All Blacks training tougher than Tests
Ex-All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald also weighed in and gave some insight into how useful getting into an international environment can be.
“When you’re taking about what Goldie was touching on there, the Tuesday and Thursday training, for someone that used to be on the tackle bags, the level of anxiety you can get by running up against that quality, it’s the most nervous you will get for training,” Donald said.
Wilson then added: “The speeds you’re operating in those training sessions, that’s elite. Those of those were tougher than Test matches I played against some other countries.”
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