Savea was into his second stint with the pro club, having played with them in the 2023-24 season, and again now in the 2025-26 season. Rennie had been coach since 2023.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360946589/dave-rennie-and-ardie-savea-team-japan-and-now-all-blacks