Richie Mo’unga is on his way to South Africa to join the All Blacks.
After weeks of questions surrounding his omission and ineligibility, Richie Mo’unga is en route to South Africa.
NZ Rugby has confirmed Mo’unga will fly to Johannesburg on Thursday to join the All Blacks on their eight-match tour of the republic.
Utility Damian McKenzie is also under an injury cloud after landing awkwardly on his left ankle taking a high ball, leaving the field just before halftime.
Head Coach Dave Rennie said he felt bad for Proctor.
“He has had a great season so this is frustrating for him. It is the harsh reality of our game. We wish him all the best with his recovery and hope to see him fit and well in time for the end of year tour selection.”
Rennie said Mo’unga was the “obvious choice” to replace him.
“His job now is to get in and learn our systems, get his head around the detail and earn the right to play.”
Rennie remained optimistic about McKenzie’s prognosis, though the question mark may have been the catalyst for Mo’unga getting the call.
Asked after the match whether Mo’unga could be that option, Rennie smiled before saying: “Yeah, well, we’ll work through that process.”
NZ Rugby had previously stood firm on the Mo’unga situation.
Under the national body’s strict criteria, players returning from overseas contracts must complete a domestic campaign before being eligible for All Blacks’ selection.
Despite being back in New Zealand, Mo’unga was still not eligible for the South African tour until he ran out for Canterbury in round one of the NPC.
* A previous version of this story said Proctor was injured against the Sharks on Wednesday. Proctor was injured during the match against the Stormers on Saturday.
