Todd Blackadder questions why All Blacks would pick Mo'unga to replace Proctor

Richie Mo’unga’s most recent head coach is expecting a “practical” approach to All Blacks selection when addressing the idea of Mo’unga potentially replacing the injured Billy Proctor in South Africa.

When the midfielder went down with a fractured shoulder 45 minutes into the All Blacks’ game against the Stormers, the inevitable question arose: is this the chance to bring in Richie Mo’unga, who regained All Blacks eligibility the weekend prior by running out for Canterbury.

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie, who has faced a steady stream of Mo’unga-related questions since he was appointed in March, was amused when the question was put to him this week, and responded: “We’ll work through that process.”

But a former coaching counterpart in Japan’s Rugby League One, Todd Blackadder, for whom Mo’unga played under during his three-year spell in Tokyo, was less coy when he weighed in.

“I think the rugby pundits really want to see Richie over there,” the former Crusaders coach told Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB.

“He’s a predominant No.10, and they’ve already got four over there. I just think about it pragmatically; do they really need another No.10? They’re probably going to have to call in a midfielder.

“My opinion would be that doesn’t really solve a problem if they take another 10 over there because none of those 10s can really cover any position other than 15. So why would you bring Richie over? I don’t think that would make sense as far as I’m concerned.

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“I think (Rennie) would like him there,” Blackadder later added when prompted. “But I think he would have a job on his hands when it comes to arguing his case to the (NZR) board.

“Richie is definitely the next cab off the rank when it comes to if they had any injury to a 10. But I think in all practicality, you’ve got to be sensible about this and you’ve got to do the right thing. If they had another injury to a midfielder, then they’d definitely need another midfielder there. So I think he’ll be looking to call up a midfielder.

“I think this is all hypothetical and a bunch of background white noise around Richie.”

Blackadder has gone into bat for the strength of rugby in the Japan league on numerous occasions when it has been called into question, and did the same when the notion that Mo’unga would be poorly prepared for Test rugby by his recent contract resurfaced. After pointing out the number of current Springbok stars playing in Japan, he narrowed in on Mo’unga’s recent form.

“You just have to watch him play; he’s class,” the long-time Toshiba coach, who recently moved ‘upstairs’ at the club, professed. “He’s a world-class No.10, there’s no doubt about that. So is he good enough to slot straight back in there? Absolutely.

“You just see the interviews that he’s had playing for Canterbury about where his mindset is at and how driven he is to be back in the All Blacks. So, given an opportunity, he’s going to take it with both hands.

“He tried to come back last year, but he couldn’t get back. You can tell where his motivation is; he’s not lacking for motivation. He wants to be there, and he’s good enough to be there. It’s just a waiting game for him.”

Few know the playmaker better than Blackadder, who was involved in the very beginning of Mo’unga’s professional career as well as coaching him over the past three years. He was asked whether anything surprised him about Mo’unga’s influence after the star joined his squad in 2023.

“I was really surprised at just what a great leader he is, how driven he is, how motivated he is,” Blackadder responded. “I actually first selected Richie with the Crusaders and then, obviously, he had a big spell under Razor, and I went overseas. And then when we finally hooked up, I was absolutely surprised at just how much he’d grown in that time.

“With the way he conducted himself, the way he integrates with his fellow teammates, his leadership on the field, I could see he is a very, very special guy when it comes to not only leadership, but on-field leadership and his decision-making. I mean, we won two titles under him. He’s an amazing player.”