Richie Mo'unga one step closer to joining All Blacks on Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Tour

Mo'unga made a triumphant return to New Zealand rugby when he came off the replacements bench and scored the match-winning try for Canterbury in a thrilling National Provincial Championship (NPC) clash with Auckland in Christchurch on Saturday.

That means the 32-year-old fly-half has become eligible for All Blacks selection on Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour in South Africa.

The men in black will take on all four of South Africa's URC sides ahead of three clashes with the Springboks in Johannesburg (twice) and Cape Town, before Baltimore hosts the fourth and final Test on September 12.

New Zealand kick off their six-week tour against the Stormers at the DHL Stadium on August 7.

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie was initially barred from selecting Mo'unga from his 44-man squad for the South African tour as he was plying his trade with Japan Rugby League One outfit Toshiba Brave Lupus since representing New Zealand at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Widely regarded as one of the game's leading playmakers, Mo'unga played a leading role for the Crusaders when they won seven consecutive Super Rugby titles between 2017 and 2023.

After finishing his three-year stint with Toshiba Brave Lupus last month, Mo'unga spent some time on the sidelines nursing a calf injury but made a recovery and came off the bench in the 52nd minute against Auckland to make his first appearance in the NPC since 2020.

He was soon in the thick of the action and in the 78th minute he jinked past three defenders before crossing the whitewash and added the extras off the kicking tee to hand Canterbury a 38-31 victory in their tournament opener.

After the match, Mo'unga was questioned about the possibility of joining the All Blacks on their South African tour but he was coy with his response.

"I'm not too sure - you know just as much as me. [I will] 'be where my feet are' and whatever happens, happens," he told The Press.

Last week, when announcing his squad for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, Rennie revealed that Mo'unga could be added to his squad.

"There is a chance," he responded when asked if Mo'unga could still feature on the tour. "He will play for Canterbury this weekend, and then once he's done that, if we had an injury at 10, then he's an option to come in."

Meanwhile, former All Black Jeff Wilson told Sky Sport's The Breakdown that he wants to see Mo'unga play more in the NPC to ready him for a possible trip to South Africa.

"[He was] the difference in regards to the the last try, he scored, but for me, I was disappointed he wasn't starting," said Wilson.

"When it came down to it, they needed a moment from Richie Mo'unga, and they got it. And the more time he gets on the park, the closer he'll be to being available if needed.

"Remember, he's insurance. He's great insurance to have, but he has to play. Put him on the park, start him if you're going to get him up to speed.

"We want to see Josh Jacomb play. You know, and he'll get that chance, whether it's a 10 or 15. I'll be very interested to see."