Star power missing as Anzac side miss out on world’s highest-paid player

The Australia and New Zealand Invitational side to face the British and Irish Lions seven days ahead of the first Test will lack serious star power with New Zealand five-eighth Richie Mo’unga to miss the game in Adelaide due to a broken hand.

Mounga’s agent Cameron McIntyre confirmed that the world’s highest-paid player has not recovered from the injury sustained playing for Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus and has withdrawn from talks with Rugby Australia about playing in the game.

Mo’unga, who is reportedly on a $2m deal, had previously spoken of his wish to play in the fixture after speaking to former New Zealand coach Ian Foster, who will be an assistant for the AUNZ side.

“I miss the big Test match setting, the big arenas, this (AUNZ game) will be the closest I’ll get to it while I’m in Japan,” Mo’unga previously told rugbyjp.com.

The news of Mo’unga’s unavailability comes on the back of former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper revealing that he turned down an invitation to represent the combined Australia and New Zealand side in Adelaide on 12 July.

Speaking on Stan Sport’s Inside Line Hooper stated that he would have liked to have seen a Barbarians style team with the best players possible from New Zealand and Australia, while also underlining the logistical difficulties in putting the team together.

“I would have loved to have seen it be an Australian New Zealand Barbarians team...the trouble is trying to make it all work,” Hooper said.

“I mentioned around the length and the layover between games for some people, some guys are coming to the back end of the season.

“Maybe they don’t want to keep training for another eight weeks because it’s going to be a daunting task (to face the Lions).”

Richie Mo’unga will miss out on the AUNZ invitational side against the Lions due to injuryCredit: Getty Images

Last Thursday, the AUNZ coach Les Kiss revealed the team’s jersey in Adelaide, a direct homage to the invitational 1989 team that faced the Lions. There were no players confirmed at the launch.

Similarly to the 1989 side-which had just three All Blacks, Frano Botica, Steve McDowell and Kieran Crowley- the 2025 squad is scrambling for significant New Zealand representation.

In April, Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh spoke about the need for ‘big name’ players to represent the invitational side in Adelaide.

“We want to make that a real festival game, big name players to maximise the exposure. If you think about all the Australians and New Zealanders in Japan, we’re pretty excited about filling out that team,” Waugh said.

It is understood that Japan-based halfback TJ Perenara and back rower Shannon Frizell remain in contention to play at Adelaide Oval, alongside Chiefs fullback Shaun Stevenson who is due to play in the Super Rugby final against the Crusaders this Saturday.

The AUNZ game is of great significance to the Lions, given it will act as a full dress rehearsal just seven days before the first Test in Brisbane.

The game will also act as a late audition for aspiring Wallabies who have missed out on selection for the first Test in Brisbane or are lacking game time.

Speaking on Stan’s Rugby Heaven, the future Wallabies coach Kiss was confident that there would be a significant contingent of players from across the Tasman in Adelaide.

“I’d imagine anywhere from six to 10 New Zealanders at least and the rest will be open,” Kiss said.

“There’s talk about probably making sure we have enough avenue for Wallabies players to have access to that game, particularly as it’s the last major match before the Test series starts.

“No doubt there’s going to be some moves in that area to get some players in there, to be able to give them more game time, and [give] Joe [Schmidt] and the coaching team at the Wallabies more insight to what they’re looking at in terms of their players.”

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