The All Blacks' ongoing bid to wrench Richie Mo'unga home from Japan appears to have hit another impasse

The Herald reports there's no clarity as to precisely when the former Crusader would become eligible to resume his test career should he return to New Zealand as anticipated next May.

That is understood to be vexing discussions around the terms of a new deal with the governing body.

Under current selection criteria, Mo'unga wouldn't be available until the Bledisloe Cup series held across September and October.

He would require a board exemption to get picked for the new Nations Cup tests in July 2026, and the tour of South Africa.

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