LONG READ ‘Love’s growing highlights reel underlines what the All Blacks have been missing in Mo’unga's absence’

They say a new broom sweeps clean, but there is more than a little bit of dust hanging around the edges at the headquarters of New Zealand Rugby. It is getting into the hoover and causing a fair few hiccoughs, miscues and false starts from the policy machine in the shaky isles. Murmur it sotto voce, but the new Dave Rennie era has kicked off with a spat similar to the one which compromised his predecessor, Razor Robertson.

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When Razor took over in late 2023, he made it clear he wanted the drawbridge to overseas selection lowered, and the likes of Richie Mo’unga welcomed back with open arms into the All Blacks’ stronghold. “You want all your best players available,” proclaimed Razor. “That’s what it takes to win a Rugby World Cup. It doesn’t matter where they’re at.”

As Robertson was foreseeing a free-market situation where veteran All Blacks could move overseas on fixed-term contracts, then boomerang back to New Zealand with improved I.P and more wisdom to impart, then-CEO Mark Robinson doubled down on the protectionist policy of only selecting home-based players, shutting the gates in Razor’s face.

A milder echo of the same scenario has recurred between Rennie and Robinson’s successor Steve Lancaster. While the ex-Chiefs supremo was clearly planning on Mo’unga’s availability for the ‘Greatest Rivalry’ tour of South Africa in August when he signed a deal to return home in June, the powers-that-be have decided he won’t be eligible for the All Blacks until the Bledisloe Cup series in October.

If a player is already back in the country, if he has signed on the dotted line and he’s ready to go, why not pick him? The contradictions were not lost on ex-All Blacks full-back Israel Dagg on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy show:

“[When] Ardie Savea goes on a ‘legitimate’ sabbatical to Japan, he gets to come back and be eligible straight away. Richie Mo’unga took a deal to go to Japan where he’s shining. He’s played 52 [56] Test matches, he was in the All Blacks for six years and yet he has got to jump across every hurdle possible if he is to be considered to play for the All Blacks.

“If he misses the July series, that’s three Tests. If he misses the South African series, that’s [another] four Tests. If he misses the Australian series because he’s not up to speed with what the All Blacks have done all year, that’s nine Tests [in total].

“Nine Tests in the penultimate year before a World Cup, then you bring him into the All Blacks. It is the most ridiculous stance I could possibly imagine. The guy is not some ‘fly-by-nighter’, he was a fundamental part of that team over a six-year period, [so] you can make concessions.”

The influence of Mo’unga on the current crop of New Zealand’s young 10s is sorely needed. Whether he starts the four-Test series in the Republic or not, he needs to be on the tour bus.

Fortunately, there is a blowhole, a crawlspace just about big enough for the ex-Chiefs’ supremo to navigate; an escape plan which will maintain glossy political appearances while giving the guitar-strummer what he really wants. It is called injury exemption, and it provoked a great deal of knowing mirth among ex-Springbok veterans Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger, to whom a knowledge of the short-cuts comes as second nature:

JdV: “They’ve got the authorities and people in charge there that can just make a call. Certainly, if it was South Africa, we would find a way round it.”

SB: “I think they will find a loophole in and around that injury term. He will hide away for the first week and someone will have a toe [issue] bending backwards and he will be on the plane! He should be, he’s a great player.”

Cue the background laughter. The Springboks know what’s what, even if New Zealand rugby is tying itself in knots. It has always been thus in the greatest rivalry on tour.

The influence of Mo’unga on the current crop of New Zealand’s young 10s is sorely needed. Whether he starts the four-Test series in the Republic or not, he needs to be on the tour bus. Although there were some highlight moments for both the incumbent 30-somethings, Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, during Razor’s tenure, neither of them laid undisputed claim to the No.10 title in the All Blacks. There was always the shadow of Mo’unga lurking in the background, even if it was only in the background of Scott Robertson’s mind, and that was enough to make life for the diminutive Chief and the Blues man uneasy.

While McKenzie still has a role to play because of his versatility and impact from the bench, Dave Rennie now has to make a big call on the future of one the best athletes professional rugby has produced – perhaps the best. Barrett will be 36 by the time the World Cup begins and his mobility and athleticism has taken a hit, even if his super-sharp rugby intellect remains intact.

It would not be either right or kind to call Barrett risk-averse in the twilight of his extraordinary rugby career, but the ever-growing number of Ruben Love highlight moments in Wellington underline what the All Blacks have been missing: a first five-eighth who plays on top of the defence and runs as well as he passes or kicks; and a No.10 who has a natural, interchangeable affinity with the man outside him. Ironically, that man in Wellington is Beauden’s younger brother Jordie.

As I suggested in an article last month, the fact that Love is book-ended by probable All Black starters inside and out, in the form of Cam Roigard at scrum-half and Jordie Barrett at first five-eighth, counts heavily in his favour.

For those looking in from outside the Kiwi rugby goldfish bowl, the choice in midfield looks straightforward. Pick the trio of Hurricanes to start at nine, 10 and 12, then search every corner of the country to unearth the best complement at centre. ‘Oh, and ensure Richie Mo’unga is close enough to the team to mentor Love in the fine arts of first five-eighth game management.’ The unit skills and cohesion of that trifecta, and Mo’unga’s guiding hand in the background, weighs more in the balance than Love’s inexperience at the spot.

As ex-All Black wing Jeff Wilson opined on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown: “It’s nice that they’ve been in camp together, playing together for six months now and they’re going into play-off rugby together, I can’t argue with the fact that all of those players will be involved with the All Blacks. Ruben Love’s my guy at 10 right now, I want to see him get the opportunity.” He was immediately supported by fellow back-three great Mils Muliaina, referring to Love’s burgeoning maturity, while adding “he’s also got guys around him that are prepared to step up when he’s not there.”

The firm of Love & Barrett cut the Blues to pieces at Eden Park in round 14 of Super Rugby Pacific. There was an innate shared understanding between them in all three aspects of attacking play:

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— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) May 31, 2026

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— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) May 31, 2026

Whether it’s on the kick, the run or the pass, Ruben and Jordie are on the same page, and Love makes his decisions as late as possible; in the last couple of strides before he makes contact, when his head is in the jaws of the defence and he can feel the hot breath on his neck. That is as it should be, for any 10 who aspires to wear the silver fern on his chest.

The sequence which epitomized the contribution the pair can make to the All Blacks in 2026 occurred in only the 10^th minute of the match:

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— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) May 30, 2026

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— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) May 30, 2026

After receiving a kick-off from the Blues in midfield, Jordie splits out to the right of the first ruck at first receiver while Ruben slides left. It gives the Canes fluid play to both sides of the breakdown, and Love’s desire to wrap around the receiver, earn a second touch of the ball and run to daylight fans the flames.

When attacking play moves back to the right-hand side, both are equally happy swapping roles, with Jordie filling in at first receiver and Love at second; with their experience at full-back in the national side, both are comfortable running the arc out beyond the 15m lines to either side of the field to stretch the defensive cover. Between them, the dynamic duo enjoyed six important involvements in the 50 seconds or so the sequence lasts, before Jordie finally plants the ball over the Blues’ goal-line for the Canes’ second try of the game.

Mo’unga may not know whether he is coming or going, but when the time comes you can forget the political shenanigans swirling around the return of the prodigal son. One way or another, Rennie will find a back door which enables him to add the ex-Crusaders playmaker to the ‘Greatest Rivalry’ tour of the Republic, which kicks off in August.

When push comes to pain-wracked shove, the unforgiving atmosphere of that ancient rivalry guarantees that every little inch given, will eventually be taken. Whatever NZR says in public, in private the likes of Rennie and Ted Henry are far too canny not to find a way to include him.

Whether Mo’unga starts the Test matches, or role-plays senpai [mentor] to Love’s k?hai [apprentice] on tour is a question for another day, but his influence on proceedings can be profound. New Zealand cannot beat South Africa on their own patch with Beaudy or D-Mac at number 10, but they might just be able to claim a famous series victory with Richie or Ruben at the helm. ‘Suddenly Saturday comes’, and it is only 10 weeks away for Rennie’s brave new All Black world.