Any return for former All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo'unga to the national set-up for the South Africa tour has been put to bed with incoming coach Dave Rennie confirming the 31-year-old would not be available.
Speaking in Auckland on Tuesday morning, Rennie said neither Mo'unga or lock Brodie Retallick would be available for selection for New Zealand's historic six-week tour of South Africa in August and September. Both currently play in Japan's League One competition.
Rennie revealed New Zealand Rugby remained staunch in their eligibility rules with no overseas based players eligible for selection in the national setup. Neither player has worn the black jersey since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat by South Africa in Paris.
Rennie re-ignited the discussion of NZR's eligibility rules after he was first appointed in March, following in the footsteps of ousted coach Scott Robertson, suggesting his interest in bringing Retallick back into the fold.
Previously Robertson had made public his interest in calling upon Mo'unga to beef up his squad with questions surrounding Damian McKenzie's ability in the playmaking role at international level, while Beauden Barrett struggled to lockdown the No.10 jersey.
While the door isn't completely closed on the 56-Test star to take on the Springboks, his chances remain slim with the fly-half set to return to Canterbury to play in New Zealand's NPC. The competition is set to kick off in August.
"The protocols mean because Richie hasn't committed for a couple of years, he's not available to come to Africa and will play NPC," Rennie told journalists.
"My thinking is we wouldn't use him in July; we've got good depth here [at No 10] and guys who are currently playing, but the thinking would have been that Richie was in the group to get his head around how we're going to play the game and the detail in that.
"We'd include him in the squad to Africa, probably play him in the first game against the Stormers, let him earn the right for a Test spot, but obviously, the criteria means he can't do that. We're still hoping to get him in so he can get his head around things."
While injuries could open the door for Mo'unga's return, Rennie said the No.10 could join the group in a non-playing capacity through the July Tests series at home against France, Italy and Ireland.
"He's got his head around it; he's prepared to go and play NPC. We've accepted that situation and understand New Zealand Rugby's mindset around it. We'll just get on with it now."
Rennie also clarified his stance on the return of Retallick with the lock making it clear he wouldn't be interested in a long stint in South Africa, with Rennie instead focusing on a return for the 2026 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
"I was always talking about maybe a World Cup [year]. He wasn't excited about maybe six weeks in Africa," Rennie said. "Even Razor had had that conversation with him 12 months ago.
"We'll continue to have discussions around whether there'd be any versatility or flexibility around a guy like Brodie. I reckon he's earned the right if he was available, if the system allowed and if he was playing good enough."
Meanwhile, Leicester Fainga'anuku's switch to No. 7 has also not been lost on Rennie, with the incoming Test coach impressed by what he had seen from the Crusaders star.
Fainga'anuku was superb in his second back-row Super Rugby start against the Blues, proving a menace at the breakdown while also showing off an array of backline skills from his many games at either centre of wing.
"He's gone well. I've been really impressed with him from a work ethic point of view. He's carrying a lot, stealing a lot of ball and so on," Rennie said.
"There's a lot to refine there in his game at No. 7, but his ability on the edge as a winger or at 7 gives you genuine versatility in your squad."
Hybrid players are all the rage in rugby right now, with the Springboks generally regarded as having piloted the idea through their 7-1 bench splits. While there is an ongoing debate around whether such a forwards-heavy bench is in the spirit of the game, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has used midfielder Andrew Esterhuizen as a back-rower as a key part of a 6-2 replacement lineup.
That has afforded Erasmus the opportunity to field one more forward on his bench and carry just a replacement scrum-half outside Esterhuizen as the only other back replacement.
While the All Blacks are blessed with a multitude of quality back-rowers, Rennie could yet consider Fainga'anuku for a similar role to Esterhuizen when the All Blacks visit South Africa for "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry" later in the year.
"If you pick a 6-2 split, you've got someone who could genuinely play at Test level out wide," Rennie said. "He's been a point of discussion."