All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has defended his decision to attempt to get foreign-based players cleared to play for the All Blacks while former All Blacks World Cup-winning flyhalf Stephen Donald says this is all about Robertson trying to get Japan-based flyhalf Richie Mo’unga back into the squad.
Robertson says they do not want to be a cycle behind or a couple of years behind because professional rugby is always evolving.
He says it is important to keep an open mind and see what’s next and he will definitely be presenting his decision.
After the team’s Autumn Nations Series campaign, Robertson says he wanted New Zealand Rugby to review its strict eligibility rules that prevent players overseas from being considered.
He adds world champions South Africa will pick players from anywhere, while Australia has the freedom to pick overseas players and they get the opportunity to use a lot of experienced players who are looked after and managed well into their 30s, so they’ve got a great balance and they’ve got big squads, they can have two really quality fullbacks.
Former All Balcks flyhalf Stephen Donald says the biggest issue for him is there has got to be an element of sacrifice, and he adds that players had to make a choice between the jersey and money available overseas at some point in their career.
He says most of the players would be speaking at press conferences that the black jersey means so much to them but at some point in their lives, they got to prove it.
Donald says there shouldn’t be any sugar-coating because this is about getting one person back into the All Blacks squad and that is Mo’unga.
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