Why the All Blacks need to stick with ‘all-time great’ Richie Mo’unga
The All Blacks dropped a selection bombshell ahead of their opening Test of the year by giving Damian McKenzie the first opportunity to shine in the No. 10 jersey.
After a shaky start against Los Pumas in Mendoza – which saw Pablo Matera charge down a McKenzie inside 30 seconds – the playmaker made amends as the All Blacks’ chief playmaker.
With three try assists and a few successful shots at goal as well, McKenzie had stolen the show during New Zealand’s comfortable 12-41 win.
But a week is a long time in Test rugby.
As expected, Crusaders pivot Richie Mo’unga returned to the starting lineup for the All Blacks’ crunch clash with the Springboks in Auckland.
But McKenzie was left out completely.
With Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett in the starting lineup, the All Blacks couldn’t even find a place for McKenzie on the bench.
In the absence of the Chiefs playmaker, Mo’unga went on to shine against the defending world champions. It was one of the 29-year-old’s best performances in the black jersey.
Finally, Mo’unga looked settled within the Test arena.
Looking ahead to the All Blacks’ opening Bledisloe Cup clash with the Wallabies in Melbourne and beyond, broadcaster James McOnie has called on selectors to avoid repeating unwanted history.
“If you look at history, have we done something maybe in the last World Cup when Beauden Barrett had just been named World Player of the Year twice, and was just starting to crack the code as a number 10 – and then we moved him,” McOnie said on Weekend Sport with Jason Pine.
“We don’t want to do that again. Richie Mo’unga has just won seven Super Rugby titles in a row, and had just got used to being a Test rugby player, why shift him now?
“Even though you know how much I love Damian, don’t forget you’ve got this absolute gem and all-time great in your midst and you wouldn’t want to waste his talents.”
Will Jordan was another player who impressed against the Springboks, with the outside back returning to Test rugby for the first time in almost 300 days last weekend.
Jordan showed some individual brilliance to set up veteran Aaron Smith for the All Blacks’ opening try of the night inside the opening five minutes.
But generally speaking, whenever Jordan got his hands on the ball, the winger looked dangerous.
“Someone was saying he’s Ben Smith with jet shoes,” he added. “He’s definitely star quality but his instincts are just so onto it.
“I like how he roams around as well, I love a winger who’s just got the number on his back but decides to see the space and exploit it.
“That’s a no-brainer as well, so you can lock him in somewhere in that back three.”
Fullback Beauden Barrett, who impressed in the opening Rugby Championship fixture against Los Pumas, also held his own against a star-studded Springboks side.
Barrett came under fire during Super Rugby Pacific following a run of uncharacteristically poor performances.
Some even doubted whether the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year should be picked for the All Blacks. But Barrett continued to silence any and all doubters on Saturday.
“Beauden Barrett, just the confidence to use those elite skills.
“I feel like he just needed maybe a game like that to remind himself how good he is.”
The All Blacks will look to lock up The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup when they take on the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground later this month.
New Zealand will return to Aotearoa for the reserve fixture in Dunedin the following weekend. That’s their second and final Test on home soil before jetting off to the Rugby World Cup in France.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to comments