Itoje issues veiled warning to Exeter Chiefs

He couldn’t persuade him to stay and he couldn’t persaude NZR to change their policy, but he really should have been perfectly comfortable with the situation after the following SR season.

The four other franchises are the ones looking likely to produce someone to take his position in the team.

Imagine how much better the results would have been last year if a) BB had of been able to retain his role as bench impact and occasional starter at 15, and b) Richie had of been the second 10 used in some important games, when giving the team a different approach and managing Dmacs minutes. Not to mention I think it would have provided great intel to see how Mo’unga performed if given a game in say the key tests like SA.

Ultimately though, if your looking for these margins to ensure victory, it rests on Razor to select the right players in the right games, and Dmac didn’t need to be managed as he was. He should have started against the French at a minimum, so that’s on Razor and his team.

If it had of been Richie providing back up, even if that meant Dmac got even less minutes, I think that would have benefited his progress towards taking over completely in these 3 years come much more than been disillusioned as he no doubt was last year.

Yeah I didn’t see that game, all small guys need to go through the same education when they hit these ranks though, no different than what Hurley or Godfrey have received I’d bet. Robinson is certainly a fairly basic 10 but I like that his two core skills, accuracy with pass and kick, serve him well there.

Why did he play for Tonga? Not sure and only he can answer that one but it clear he has always had ambitions to play for the ABs, and who knows, maybe he never even plays for Tonga as a 19/20 year old if he knew that would stop him ever playing for the ABs.

Hard for people to criticise NZ Rugby for picking a player who was born and fully developed in their system.