Dave Rennie reveals discarded Richie Mo’unga plan and gives his verdict on All Blacks’ fly-half stocks
All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo'unga (inset) and head coach Dave Rennie.
Dave Rennie has accepted New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) decision not to allow Richie Mo’unga to feature for the All Blacks until after their tour to South Africa.
Rennie was appointed as the All Blacks’ new head coach in March on a contract until the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
The 62-year-old is an experienced coach who is currently in charge of Japan Rugby League One outfit Kobelco Kobe Steelers and will commence his duties with the All Blacks ahead of their Nations Championship Tests against France, Italy and Ireland in July once he completes his club commitments in June.
He is currently in New Zealand while his club is on a break and addressed the media at a press conference in Auckland on Tuesday.
New Zealand Rugby remain firm on overseas policy
Last week, new NZR chief executive Steve Lancaster confirmed that the governing body would remain firm on their overseas policy which requires players to compete in the preceding local tournament to earn selection to the All Blacks.
That means Mo’unga will first have to represent Canterbury in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship (NPC) before he will be eligible to be in action for his country at Test level.
Rennie was questioned on NZR’s decision not to allow Mo’unga to play in New Zealand’s upcoming home Nations Championship Tests as well as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the Springboks in South Africa and revealed that he had a plan on how he would’ve managed the fly-half’s return to Test action but he had to scrap that idea.
“I know there’s been a lot of chat around it and I guess the protocols mean that because Richie hasn’t committed for a couple of years, he’s not available to come to Africa and he’ll play NPC,” he said.
“My thinking would have been that we wouldn’t have used him in July. We’ve got good depth here. We’ve got guys who are currently playing, but the thinking would have been Richie would be in the group, getting his head around how we’re going to play the game and the detail within that, include him in the squad to Africa and probably play him against the Stormers (in the) first game and let him earn the right to fight for a Test spot.
“But obviously the criteria means he can’t do that.
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“We’re still hoping to get him in so he can get his head around things. And maybe if there are injuries, there’s an option to bring him in. But he’s got his head around it.
‘We’ve accepted that situation’
“He’s prepared to go play NPC. We’ve accepted that situation and understand New Zealand Rugby’s mindset around it, so we’ll just get on with it now.”
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With Mo’unga out of the picture for the Nations Championship Tests and the eagerly anticipated Test series against the Springboks, Rennie will have to turn to his New Zealand-based fly-halves.
Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie were the players who shared the fly-half duties when Scott Robertson was the All Blacks’ head coach in 2024 and 2025.
Barrett and McKenzie have been calling the shots in Super Rugby Pacific this year as the chief playmakers for the Blues and Chiefs respectively while Ruben Love has also shone at fly-half for the table-topping Hurricanes.
Despite being without Mo’unga’s services for the early part of the international campaign, Rennie is happy with New Zealand’s fly-half stocks.
“I think we’re blessed in that position,” he said.
“I’m really excited, watching over the next few weeks as the intensity grows, it’s a chance to see the guys who are performing.
“It’s definitely a position of strength.”
