1
Why the All Blacks and Wallabies have No 10s that aren't yet firing
While Richie Mo’unga has been one of the All Blacks‘ best this season, both the New Zealand and Australian national sides share something in common: first fives that aren’t necessarily hitting their stride at this stage of the year.
ADVERTISEMENT
For the All Blacks, two-time World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett has played second-fiddle to Mo’unga, despite his years of experience, while young Wallabies playmaker Noah Lolesio has run hot and cold in the Bledisloe Cup series.
Barrett, of course, only returned from a stint in Japan near the end of the Super Rugby season. Alongside Brodie Retallick, he was rushed straight back into the national set-up but has made just one starting appearance in the five games to date. Retallick, on the other hand, is quickly getting back to his best – but that shouldn’t come as a surprise, according to Crusaders centurion Bryn Hall.
“I think it’s hard because I think Brodie’s had the chance to be able to start,” said Hall on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod when comparing NZ’s two returning players. “Beaudy’s had one start and Brodie’s had a couple so I think being able to have the time in the saddle with Brodie, to be able to play and iron out a few things has probably been a little bit more valuable.”
“I don’t think it’s taking time to come back, I just think the opportunities probably haven’t come,” he added. “It’s the difference [between] having 15, 20 minutes off the bench [compared] with Brodie starting the last two test matches.”
While Lolesio has been firmly entrenched as the Wallabies starting No 10 for their five matches this year, including a three-match series with France, the 21-year-old is still inexperienced at the highest level of the game, only making his test debut last year.
As such, former All Black James Parsons understandably expects the Wallabies to stick with their current playmaker.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Absolutely. He’s shown quality beyond his years since coming into the Super Rugby comp,” said Parsons on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. “I think you just need that time.”
In some ways, Lolesio’s circumstances were similar to Barrett’s with the All Blacks, Parsons suggested.
“Don’t underestimate stringing games together and how that can bring your form back,” he said. “Compare it to the opportunities Beaudie’s had, 15, 20 minutes here.
“I think it’d be unfair to say someone like him isn’t playing well because he’s doing his role of what he’s been given and the opportunities he’s been given. I think the ability to just keep Noah going from game to game, he is only going to get stronger and stronger.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Rieko Ioane is in some hot form but has he done enough to lock down a jersey? #AllBlackshttps://t.co/plRWTN1bXa
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 19, 2021
Hall also backed the call to stick with the young flyhalf.
“Especially as an inside back, time in the saddle [is huge],” he said. “Being able iron things out, figure things out.
“Obviously this is a little bit different but you look at Richie Mo’unga, how many tests has he played? He’s starting to get into a somewhat rich vein of form, being able to have the experience of being in big games. That World Cup series was invaluable for him. You look at it probably now, was he ready for it? But then that kind of experience brings you to where you are now.”
Parsons further highlighted that a player’s performance is as much about the men around them as it is their individual ability and form.
“We’re talking about the individual here but there’s so much more that goes into it for that position to be successful,” he said.
“Let’s use Richie as an example. He’s got his best mate outside him at the moment. He feels comfortable, he looks comfortable. He’s running with a lot of confidence. Rieko [Ioane] is a big talker at centre, he’s going to give you a lot of comms. Sevu [Reece] just looks like he wants the ball and he’s excited all the time so you’re going to get a lot of comms from him. Will Jordan is a familiar voice to him and Damian [McKenzie] is that dual-pivot role so he’s surrounded by a lot of comms, a lot of experience, a lot of guys that know what they’re doing and feeding that in to make his job easier, on the back of a forward pack that’s going really well as well.
“Noah the week before, he had two young guys [outside him] in [Len] Ikitau and [Hunter] Paisami, and they’re learning and growing and they probably don’t have that ability to communicate and control the game and take the pressure off and understand. I think that’s why [Matt] To’omua came back in.”
The All Blacks and Wallabies are due to square off once more next weekend and both Barrett and Lolesio will be looking to earn some more minutes for their respective sides – whether that’s starting or on the bench – to help them build into the long seasons ahead.
Comments on RugbyPass
Both nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to comments