Star power missing as Anzac side miss out on world's highest-paid player
Mounga's agent Cameron McIntyre confirmed that the world's highest-paid player has not recovered from the injury sustained playing for Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Mo'unga, who is reportedly on a $2m deal, had previously spoken of his wish to play in the fixture after speaking to former New Zealand coach Ian Foster, who will be an assistant for the AUNZ side.
'I miss the big Test match setting, the big arenas, this (AUNZ game) will be the closest I'll get to it while I'm in Japan,' Mo'unga previously told rugbyjp.com.
The news of Mo'unga's unavailability comes on the back of former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper revealing that he turned down an invitation to represent the combined Australia and New Zealand side in Adelaide on 12 July.
Speaking on Stan Sport's Inside Line Hooper stated that he would have liked to have seen a Barbarians style team with the best players possible from New Zealand and Australia, while also underlining the logistical difficulties in putting the team together.
'I would have loved to have seen it be an Australian New Zealand Barbarians team...the trouble is trying to make it all work,' Hooper said.
'I mentioned around the length and the layover between games for some people, some guys are coming to the back end of the season.
'Maybe they don't want to keep training for another eight weeks because it's going to be a daunting task (to face the Lions).'
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