Should Richie Mo’unga join the All Blacks in South Africa? + Ma'a Nonu & Stormers v All Blacks

The Greatest Rivalry tour is underway, and Steve Hansen believes the All Blacks will take plenty from a rusty but valuable opening hit-out against the Stormers. David Pembroke and Steve break down New Zealand’s discipline, problems defending the South African maul and the TMO interventions that again changed key moments in the game. They also look at which players pushed their Test claims, how the All Blacks manage Billy Proctor’s tour-ending injury and whether it could unexpectedly open the door for Richie Mo’unga to join the squad with an eye towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The conversation then turns to the risks of the 6–2 bench split, the heartbreaking injury suffered by the Stormers’ young halfback, and the next tour challenge against the Sharks — where former All Black Ma’a Nonu is preparing to face New Zealand.

You can listen to or watch the FULL EPISODE here: open.spotify.com/show/2CsMO8YIDbnY2zDM1BPWE9

SIGN UP TO THE BIG 3 HERE: tinyurl.com/big3rugbyunity 👈👈

Ask Eddie Jones, Steve Hansen and Ewen McKenzie anything! Fill out the form below 👇
tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions 👈👈

In this episode:
00:00 🇳🇿 All Blacks open the Greatest Rivalry tour against the Stormers
02:00 🏉 Rust, match fitness and why timing takes games to build
03:00 🟨 All Blacks discipline, scrum penalties and the Lienert-Brown card
05:00 🎥 Steve Hansen: why is the TMO overruling the referee?
08:00 🔥 Which All Blacks strengthened their case for Test selection?
10:00 ✈️ Billy Proctor’s injury and whether Richie Mo’unga could get the call
17:00 🎲 The risks of South Africa’s 6–2 bench split
21:00 💔 The Stormers injury that ended a young player’s dream night
23:00 🦈 All Blacks turn their attention to the Sharks in Durban
28:00 🖤 Ma’a Nonu prepares to face the All Blacks

Call to action:
📌 Would you bring Richie Mo’unga into the All Blacks squad now — or stick with the group already on tour?

📩 Got a question? Email us: info@rugbyunity.com.au
🔔 !
📲 Follow us on socials → TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook & LinkedIn @RugbyUnityPodcast