Sir Steve Hansen believes that a tweak to the All Blacks’ eligibility laws ‘could work’ after altering his stance slightly on the issue.
The 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning head coach has previously been a staunch advocate of New Zealand Rugby’s policy of not selecting overseas-based players.
Hansen’s stance may have softened slightly by his time in Japan, however, where he has worked since his departure as All Blacks boss following the 2019 global tournament.
The 65-year-old believes that enabling New Zealand’s Test stars to feature in the Japan Rugby League One while also retaining their international status is something that should be considered.
Why Steve Hansen thinks it can work
“Just the ease of getting back from here [Japan] to New Zealand, the number of New Zealand coaches that are up here that the All Blacks or New Zealand Rugby could rely on and help facilitate the players returning back into New Zealand rugby for the All Blacks,” Hansen told Sport Nation’s Beaver & Guy.
“The communication that would be needed and the trust that would be needed around strength and conditioning programmes and those sorts of things.
“There’s a heap of people and connections that can help. Those sorts of things say to you that maybe it could work.”
Hansen’s comments came before it was reported that Richie Mo’unga would be seeing out his contract in Japan but they are no less relevant.
New Zealand Rugby and Scott Robertson have been open in their desire to bring the fly-half home early, with Mo’unga joining Toshiba Brave Lupus on a three-year deal after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
If NZR were to implement Hansen’s suggestion then they would not need to worry about the playmaker, who would immediately become available to Robertson.
However, as it stands, the 30-year-old needs to be playing in New Zealand for him to be considered for All Blacks selection.
New Zealand Rugby’s pursuit of Richie Mo’unga ‘stalls’ as ex-All Blacks star’s agent issues concerning update
The latest update on the pivot duly opens the governing body up to ridicule, given the knock-on effect their pursuit has potentially had.
It certainly played a part in the departure of third-choice pivot Harry Plummer, who revealed that the talk around Mo’unga’s return was a factor in him signing a three-year contract at French club Clermont Auvergne.
Equally, some observers, including England men’s record cap holder Ben Youngs, believe that the performances of Damian McKenzie may have suffered because of those discussions.
McKenzie ‘unsettled’
“I do wonder, the whole McKenzie and Mo’unga thing, that can be a little bit unsettling,” Youngs said on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast in October.
“If I was playing and in that position and you know that they’re trying to get someone back over, saying: ‘We want him back because he’s the best guy and that’s who I want to build my team around’, that would piss me off to be honest with you.
“Because I feel like you haven’t been given a fair crack. It feels like it’s pre-meditated rather than giving him the reins.”
Hansen therefore reckons that a slight change should be considered, but the former All Blacks boss insists that it must not be at the expense of New Zealand’s domestic game.
“I still worry about our own competition and our own development back home,” he added. “We’ve got a competition in New Zealand that we’ve got to keep the integrity of.
“I think players have always known that if you go overseas you can’t be selected and if you really want to play for the All Blacks, then you’ll stay at home and play for them.
“I’m still probably keen on that idea – select from home first and foremost and keep the integrity of the competitions going.”
READ MORE: England great offers Richie Mo’unga theory for All Blacks issues as Scott Robertson ‘unsettles’ Damian McKenzie
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-01-22 10:55:39
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