'The guy is not a fly-by-nighter': Plea made for Richie Mo'unga's All Black eligibility

New Zealand commentator and rugby pundit Scotty Stevenson has made a passionate case for the involvement of Richie Mo’unga with the All Blacks as the No.10 looks set to be sidelined under the eligibility rules.

Speaking on his Scotty and Izzy Show on Sport Nation, Stevenson spoke of the irony between Ardie Savea and Richie Mo’unga, who both played in Japan Rugby League One this year but will be treated differently.

“On the one hand, you’ve got New Zealand Rugby standing up and saying how desperate they are to win games or rugby, to represent the best players available. On the other hand, they are putting up every hurdle they possibly can,” he said on Sport Nations’ Scotty and Izzy show.

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“Here’s the irony here. Because Ardie Savea goes on a ‘legitimate’ sabbatical to Japan, he gets to come back in and be eligible straight away.

“Richie Mo’unga took a deal to go to Japan where he’s shining, he’s played 52 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.

The worry is that the delay in his return combined with the regime’s new game plan and style of play will leave Mo’unga far behind the eight ball.

“If he misses the July series, that’s three Tests. If he misses the South African series, that’s four more 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,” he said.

“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 a fly-by-nighter, he was a fundamental part of that team over a six-year period, you can make concessions.”

Ex-All Black Israel Dagg predicted that Mo’unga will play and a deal will be done to make it happen.

“I think he plays, I can’t understand why he wouldn’t,” Dagg said.

“He’s in the country, he’s made his decision to come home, he’s going to be playing here on our shores.

“There’s no way in hell I cannot see him playing, they will find some way.”

Incoming head coach Dave Rennie confirmed during his press conference last week that Mo’unga would not have been used in July as the All Blacks play three home Tests in this year’s new Nations Championship.

The plan was to have Mo’unga involved with the squad and on the tour in South Africa to fight for a Test spot, but NZR CEO Stuart Lancaster said that no concessions have been made.

“My thinking would have been that we wouldn’t have used him in July,” Rennie revealed.

“We’ve got good depth there, here, with the guys who are currently playing. But the thinking would be that Richie would be in the group, getting his head around how we want to play the game and the detail within that.

“Then, include him in the squad for Africa and probably play him against the Stormers, first game, and let him earn the right to fight for a Test spot. But obviously, the criteria mean that we can’t do that.”