'That's a bad man out there': TJ Perenara and Ian Foster praise Richie Mo'unga's Bledisloe III performance
All Blacks coach Ian Foster has praised flyhalf Richie Mo’unga after the 26-year-old played a near-perfect game in the 43-5 record win over the Wallabies in Sydney. The win saw the All Blacks lock up the Bledisloe Cup for an 18th straight year, and get their Tri Nations campaign off to an ideal start.
The flyhalf bagged a 23-point haul, including a six-minute double midway through the first-half. He came close to completing a hat-trick just before the break too, but was tripped up by Wallabies fullback Dane Haylett-Petty five metres out from the try-line.
But Mo’unga’s performance in the 38-point win, in the wet, was arguably the most settled he’s looked in international rugby.
“We haven’t been a great team in the wet in the last couple of years, and we’ve often tried to overplay our hand. Generally we’re a ball-in-hand team that likes to do things and we like to attack and be clever, and sometimes that can expose you in wet conditions,” Foster said.
“He [Mo’unga] played a really sensible game. I’m not trying to downplay his game, but he made some obvious calls.
“We put a lot of pressure on the people around him to be really good communicators to him, so the likes of Jack Goodhue, Anton [Leinert-Brown], Beauden [Barrett] and Aaron Smith, they all played a bit part in that. When they play their part he’s able to do what he’s good at.
Here’s something Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga prepared earlier.
Credit: @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/MI21M6y7Bc
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“He’s back himself in a couple of intuitive moments and they came off, but he also put his foot to the ball when he needed to and he had that kicking control which has been a work-on for him.”
The All Blacks pivot has been criticised throughout his time in the black jersey for not being able to replicate his domestic form in test matches.
But that’s exactly what prompted All Blacks scrumhalf TJ Perenara to say that he “expected” a performance like that, as he echoed his coaches comments.
“Some of the stuff Richie did last night, it was pretty special. He’s a humble guy and he knows his part of the job, and I do too. I expect Richie to go out there and I expect Richie to play well,” Perenara stated.
“When he does that sort of stuff, it’s something that I know he can do because I’ve see it at Super Rugby, I’ve seen it at training. But when you do see it at the arena, you can’t help but be like, ‘man, that’s a bad man out there.’
“Some of the stuff he did out there was stuff that other people can’t do.
“He trains hard enough to put himself in positions to do that, and to be completely honest, it was awesome but I expected him to do that because he’s that good of a player.”
Mo’unga humbly deflected the praise for his performance in Bledisloe III, saying that as “All Blacks it’s always about the team.”
An explosive opening 13 minutes hasn’t been enough to stop the All Blacks from stamping their authority over the Wallabies in the first half of Bledisloe Cup III in Sydney. #BledisloeCup #AUSvNZL https://t.co/MfT5CZxk3z
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“Last night we just went in with a really clear and simple game plan which I think suited myself and the boys around me, and that was playing in their half a little bit due to the weather, and kicking more, and all those things that I like to do personally,” Mo’unga said on Sunday morning.
“It’s the clarity in the game plan, clarity in what we wanted to do as a team. The weather was a big part of that so we had to play a bit differently to how we did in Bledisloe One and Two.
“I wouldn’t say that it was any different, it was still business as usual, still the same mindset, still the same goal and drive to want to be the best I can. I got the rub of the green a bit yesterday and was really supported by the boys around me which resulted in a great performance.
“You’ve got to be honest with yourself; you’re chuffed, you’re happy, you’re proud of a performance like that. But you can’t take away what the whole group has done.”
As well as being arguably Mo’unga’s best test in an All Blacks jersey, it also fuelled the debate for the dual playmaker strategy which allowed Beauden Barrett to shift to fullback from flyhalf, after he had won two World Rugby Player of the Year accolades in the position.
But on Saturday, Mo’unga was able to play with the confidence to step up and control the All Blacks attack, while the Wallabies restricted Barrett to just 15 run metres.
“Every rugby game is different, it doesn’t’ always present the same opportunities so it was good to connect with Beauden last night on that.
“We just train and practice those things together throughout the weeks and sometimes they come off and sometimes they don’t but it as nice.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
21 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
12 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
12 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
5 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
5 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
37 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
37 Go to comments