Mo'unga returns for All Blacks as Erasmus releases Horn and Venter to face Lions

Richie Mo’unga will wear the black jersey for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup when the All Blacks face the Lions at Ellis Park on Tuesday, with New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie naming a side that also features Beauden Barrett at full-back, Rieko Ioane in the centres, and hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho.

The Lions, meanwhile, have been reinforced by two players released from Rassie Erasmus’s extended Springbok training squad. Quan Horn starts at full-back, while loosehead prop Boan Venter takes a place among the replacements. The pair slot into a Lions group built largely around the squad that claimed the SA Shield during the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship campaign, with Francke Horn captaining the hosts from No.8 and Chris Smit partnering Nico Steyn at half-back.

For the All Blacks, the fixture carries additional significance as prop Saula Ma’u is set to earn his first Test cap. Injury call-ups Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Jamie Hannah are named among the replacements, while Peter Lakai and Anton Lienert-Brown are included just three days after featuring in the opening Test against the Springboks. Patrick Tuipulotu again captains the tourists.

Rennie acknowledged the tight turnaround but expressed satisfaction at the squad depth on show. “Firstly, I want to congratulate Saula on making his All Blacks debut — it will be a special day for him and his family,” he said. “With the naming of this matchday 23, everyone currently in the squad will have played on tour, which is great for creating depth and competition for places in the Test team.”

The All Blacks coach added that the physical demands of the schedule had been met positively by his group. “I’ve been impressed with the way that all players in our squad have responded to the quick turnaround between games,” Rennie said. “We know we will have to be at our very best again to prepare for what we know will be another physical match against a Lions side that has been lying in wait.”

For Mo’unga, the occasion marks a significant return. The fly-half has not pulled on the All Blacks shirt since New Zealand’s run at the 2023 World Cup in France, making Tuesday’s appearance at Ellis Park a notable milestone in what is the final franchise fixture of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

Venter’s last Springbok outing came in South Africa’s 17-10 victory over Argentina earlier this month, while Horn’s most recent appearance in green was against Scotland in the Nations Championship in July, where he was used at fly-half.