LONG READ From an uncertain position, Barrett and McKenzie are the All Blacks' key playmakers

It’s apparent two men in particular are determined to make a dramatic impact in Super Rugby Pacific and the competition’s narrative may well be shaped entirely around them.

This is going to be the year of Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, as both men have been seemingly rejuvenated and energised by the news their former All Black colleague, Richie Mo’unga will not be coming back to New Zealand from Japan until 2026 at the earliest.

There’s no animosity between the trio; no personal gripes or hidden tensions beyond the usual friction that arises when three highly driven athletes are all striving for the same thing within the same team.

But last year was tough for Barrett and McKenzie. Most of it was spent in the shadow of Mo’unga, despite the fact the former Crusaders 10 was playing for Toshiba Brave Lupus and supposedly no longer competing for a place in the All Blacks team.

Mo’unga had signed a three-year deal with Toshiba at the end of 2022 and had made it clear at the time of doing so, he felt he’d done all he had wanted in Test rugby. He knew he’d bring up his 50^th appearance at the World Cup, which would be the second he’d played at, and that was going to be his lot.

He did all this knowing, or at least strongly suspecting, his long-time Crusaders mentor Scott Robertson was going to take over as All Blacks coach.

Razor coming along and saying he’d love to have me back home, it’s just given me another opportunity to think about where I’m at with my footy.

He was sure he was done, but by July last year, he was reconsidering. Robertson had checked in with Mo’unga in March, with the coach selling his vision of how he wanted the All Blacks to play on his watch.

Robertson making a play, or planting a seed at least, to try to persuade the 29-year-old to come home early and extend his Test career, was entirely reasonable. All Blacks coaches have always kept in touch with overseas-based players they’d be keen to see return.

A problem arose, however, when New Zealand Rugby’s general manager of professional rugby, Chris Lendrum, made the situation public by telling the Rugby Direct podcast: “We would love Richie home as soon as we can. There are contracts. We respect those. He’s employed by Toshiba currently, but we’ll be involved in conversations to see what’s possible.”

Once the story was out – NZR wanted to extract Mo’unga from his Toshiba contract early – it became impossible to ignore.

When Mo’unga was home in Christchurch ahead of the All Blacks series against England, he spoke to local media and explained he was indeed thinking about an earlier than expected return.

“I signed for three years with Toshiba and my intentions were, ‘Yep, I’m going do the three years’,” he said.

“[But] obviously with Razor coming along and saying he’d love to have me back home, it’s just given me another opportunity to think about where I’m at with my footy.”

The big problem with this playing out so publicly, was it left Barrett and McKenzie feeling like they were in interim roles – place-holders in the 10 jersey until the deal was done to get Mo’unga home.

From being uncertain they were wanted, McKenzie and Barrett are now the two playmakers shaping up as integral to Robertson’s All Blacks.

It didn’t help in the week before the All Blacks played the Wallabies in Sydney, Robertson told media he had gone surfing with former NRL legend Andrew Johns. No-one asked Robertson what they had talked about, but he volunteered the answer anyway: “He knows all the pivots, you know ‘When are you getting Richie back?’, geez, it’s gone global. It was entertaining.”

It was an extraordinary scenario where the All Blacks had two incredible talents in McKenzie and Barrett feeling uncertain about their longer-term futures.

Barrett is contracted through to 2027 but he has the right, given his long service, to leave whenever he wants and McKenzie is only locked in until the end of this year. It was rumoured, not without strong cause, both would leave New Zealand at the end of this year if it was confirmed Mo’unga was coming home for good in July.

But it has been reported Mo’unga is staying put, and will see out all three years of his Toshiba contract, meaning the earliest he would be available for the All Blacks is July 2026 – and even then there is no guarantee he will want to come home.

From being uncertain they were wanted, McKenzie and Barrett are now the two playmakers shaping up as integral to Robertson’s All Blacks. These are his guys – the two Robertson has to trust and build his team around. The shadow of Mo’unga has lifted and Barrett and McKenzie appear to know that. They have an opportunity to spearhead their respective teams into a repeat of last year’s final and lay down irrefutable cases they are in possession of the game management skills the All Blacks need.

Barrett, having missed Super Rugby last year to play for Toyota Verblitz, has been unusually vocal in pre-season, suggesting he has been invigorated by the news out of Japan. He spoke to reporters in Auckland last week, making it clear he is committed to helping the champion Blues grow their game and retain the title.

The Blues ended a 21-year drought in 2024, winning their fourth Super Rugby championship with a gameplan that was direct, narrow and powerful.

“It’s been a fairly blunt strategy that’s worked, but there’s no doubt we’ll look to adapt a little bit,” Barrett said. “We can’t assume that will work again. We’ll have to improvise and not be complacent.”

It was the fact he was willing to delve into matters he would normally have steered well clear of, that suggested he is going to embrace his new position as elder statesman and All Blacks chief playmaker.

If we don’t have momentum, how do we get momentum back? It was the part of my game which definitely needed to show the most improvement.

He offered the media opinions about New Zealand’s eligibility policy – saying it should be held where it is – and suggested Japan should be brought into Super Rugby in some capacity. He also, at the launch of Super Rugby in Sydney, talked up the Australian threat.

“Obviously with the Rebels not being part of the competition, each team’s strengthened by players spreading out,” he said.

“The change we saw with the Wallabies under Joe Schmidt, I think you’ll also certainly see a step up at Super level with the movement, his trajectory with where they’re going.”

This is un-Barrett like, to be so forthcoming on topics he would usually suggest are outside of his lane.

McKenzie, too, has been open about what he didn’t get right last year when he was entrusted with the All Blacks 10 jersey for the first eight Tests of the year.

“There’s a lot of stuff in Test rugby that’s a lot different to Super Rugby,” he said. “It’s recognising the flow of the game, really.

“If we don’t have momentum, how do we get momentum back? Whether it’s through kicking, running, going more to our set-piece… making sure we’re putting the ball in front of the forwards, making their job easier.

“It was the part of my game which definitely needed to show the most improvement.”

What’s amplified the importance of Barrett and McKenzie in this year’s Super Rugby, is not only the knowledge Mo’unga is staying put, but Harry Plummer, who was so steady and influential for the Blues last year and won his first cap as a result, is off to France in the coming months.

Fergus Burke, who was the heir apparent to Mo’unga at the Crusaders, has already left for Saracens and Brett Cameron, who was seen as one of the other leading lights to emerge, is set to miss most of the campaign with injury.

New Zealand is decidedly low on quality 10s and Barrett and McKenzie know it.