Sir John Kirwan hopes Hoskins Sotutu’s selection in the second row will be enough to convince him to maintain his All Blacks ambitions.

The number eight is already a capped international having made his debut for New Zealand in 2020, but his last appearance for the national team was in November 2022.

It means Sotutu, who has a Fijian father and an English mother, could well switch allegiances at the end of 2025 under World Rugby eligibility rules after completing the required three-year break period.

Shock omission

The back-rower was a surprise omission from the All Blacks first team named by Scott Robertson for the mid-year series and he failed to break into the squad for the Rugby Championship.

However, Sotutu was named in the All Blacks XV’s 28-man squad ahead of their matches against Georgia and Munster, suggesting he is still on Robertson’s radar.

Kirwan, who has been a big supporter of the Blues star, was “happy” to see him included but wasn’t sure it would be enough to entice him to continue trying for the New Zealand side.

He also didn’t know if playing for the All Blacks XV would count as a catching team for Robertson’s team.

If that were the case, if Sotutu plays against Munster or Georgia, he will not be able to change his nationality for at least the next three years.

“Does that mean he doesn’t qualify (for England)? Do those old rules still say that if you play for the All Blacks XV, you’re not allowed to play for England? Kirwan said The breakdown.

“If you’re Hoskins Sotutu and you think you don’t have a chance, and you have a chance of going and playing for England, then do you play for the All Blacks XV?”

Hoskins Sotutu receives blunt message on European tour ‘expectations’ after All Blacks snubbing

If Sotutu has ambitions to play for England, he will likely have to cut short his time with the Blues, with the number eight under contract until the end of 2026.

But Jeff Wilson is convinced the flanker wants to become an All Black and will do everything possible to break into Robertson’s team.

“He wants to be an All Black”

“He wants to be an All Black. I think it’s a simple conversation. He was named to this team, he said nothing else. Let’s get the tour going and see what he brings,” All Blacks great Wilson said.

There are 36 players in the All Blacks’ main team and 28 in the second-string squad, which includes Sotutu.

This could well be a big tour for a number of these fringe players, including the Blues number eight, and Wilson has given them some advice for the northern hemisphere tour.

“They are all under pressure. If you want to continue your career and improve over time, listen to your coaches, do your critiques, watch your game, then go ahead and work on it – use your time valuablely,” he said.

“There are a lot of guys who need to continue to improve.”

READ MORE: POLL: England or Fiji? Should Hoskins Sotutu change allegiance after another All Blacks snub?