Rennie reveals All Blacks plans for Springboks series

The All Blacks are well advanced in their planning for the looming series against South Africa but coach Dave Rennie has confirmed he won’t be selecting playmaker Richie Mo’unga.

Rennie revealed he already has a team pencilled in for next month’s first of four Tests against the world champion Springboks, dubbed the “Greatest Rivalry” series.

But classy fly-half Mo’unga won’t feature when the coach names a 44-man squad for the high-profile tour, he told journalists Thursday.

Mo’unga was New Zealand’s play-maker at the last two World Cups but under the national union’s strict eligibility rules, has been out of contention since leaving to play three seasons of club rugby in Japan in 2023.