It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.
THEY’RE ON FIRE!
Richie Mo’unga returns: The All Blacks have been bolstered by the announcement that the fly-half will return midway through 2026 and provide competition in the pivot position for Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie. Having created a dynasty at the Crusaders alongside current All Blacks boss Scott Robertson, the head coach will hope that he can solve their issues in the 10 slot and lead them to Rugby World Cup glory in 2027.
Newcastle on the rise: It has not been an easy few years for their supporters, but that could change following the investment from Red Bull. Director of rugby Steve Diamond has already dipped in the market to bring in four players, including powerhouse number eight Amanaki Mafi, but there are rumours that Finlay Christie and Tom Christie, both of whom have been linked to the Falcons over the past week or so, could follow. The good times appear to be coming to the North East.
Leicester Fainga’anuku’s immediate impact: After returning from an 18-month stint with Toulon in France, the All Black played his first game since landing back in New Zealand and scored two tries for Tasman in the NPC. Fainga’anuku was unsurprisingly a class above and played a key role in helping his side thrash Manawatu, but it’s just a shame that he’s not allowed to play for the national team in the Rugby Championship (more on that later).
All Blacks bolters: Four uncapped players have made the wider training squad for the upcoming tournament, but particular congratulations have to be paid to Simon Parker, who has been elevated to the main 36 after recovering from injury. He is joined by Tevita Mafileo, Kyle Preston and Leroy Carter, who are there as injury cover for Tyrel Lomax, Cam Roigard/Noah Hotham and Caleb Clarke, respectively. They are all great stories, but watch out for Parker, who could get plenty of game time in the Rugby Championship.
Scarlets takeover: Good news has been rare in Welsh regional rugby for quite some time, but there are hopes that the acquisition of a 55 per cent controlling stake by House of Luxury Group in the Scarlets can genuinely provide a lasting lift. Outside investment in the regional clubs hasn’t been universally successful. Just ask Cardiff, who were left in the lurch and in dire need of WRU assistance after their dalliance with Helford Capital left a sour taste and multiple unpaid bills. However, you can’t imagine someone like Dan Biggar lending his name to the HOL consortium if he didn’t believe it could be successful, which is why there has been a wave of optimism since Scarlets’ takeover news broke on Friday.
COLD AS ICE!
NZR hold back Mo’unga: While it is great that Mo’unga has returned, it seems utterly stupid that he will not be eligible for the All Blacks because of a governing body clause which has been described as a ‘loyalty scheme’. Due to the short-term nature of the contract and the fact that the fly-half has been in Japan over the past three years, the playmaker can only start featuring for the national team in October 2026. It is the same scenario that Fainga’anuku is going through now, and while we understand NZR’s vigilance when it comes to keeping players within the country, this is just utter madness.
Bulls’ Wilco Louw setback: It is obviously great for the Stormers, who appear likely to get a top-class tighthead, but the Pretoria franchise will wonder why the Cape Town outfit is currently a more attractive proposition. Now, Louw is from that area, and that would be a very understandable reason for heading to the Stormers, but according to a source, should he head southwest and play for John Dobson’s men, it would be for “rugby reasons.” That is not a great sign for the Bulls, who have had a disruptive off-season following the departure of Jake White.
Dan Sheehan ban: We all know the decision itself during the game was wrong, and it was poor from the TMO not to pick up on the Lions hooker’s illegal clearout, but the ban also raised questions. It included a pre-season game against Cardiff, which is absolutely absurd, given Sheehan would have almost certainly not featured in that match. He may have also not headed on their tour to South Africa at the start of the URC season, so it has not really had any effect. We quite like Nigel Owens’ suggestion of having a ‘like-for-like’ suspension so it takes in future games from the same competition. In this case, the hooker would miss Ireland’s next few Tests, but that’s probably just too simple for rugby’s bigwigs to implement.
Dave Porecki’s retirement: Australian rugby was caught on the hop early last week when Porecki surprisingly quit playing professional rugby with immediate effect rather than play a part in the upcoming Rugby Championship, which starts next weekend. The 32-year-old hooker was due to feature for the Wallabies in their series finale versus the British and Irish Lions, but injury ruled him out. His unavailability was followed just days later by his ‘quit’ decision, meaning he didn’t join Joe Schmidt and co. for their trip to South Africa for the August 16 clash with the Springboks in Johannesburg. It was certainly a shock decision but one that Porecki felt comfortable in making and we wish him all the best in his future career.
