Barrett still reigns
Steve Hansen gets it in his ear every time he rocks up to AMI Stadium – start Richie Mo’unga over Beauden Barrett.
But the All Blacks coach has a message for his fellow Cantabrians, and everyone else on the Mo’unga bandwagon, which only went up another gear after he sparked the Crusaders to a 37-18 win against the Lions in the Super Rugby final on Saturday night.
‘‘We have to build slowly with Richie and build his experience. But in the meantime, we’ve got a player in Beauden who has been the world’s best player the last two years. So we won’t be in any rush to shift him,’’ Hansen said after unveiling his squad for the Rugby Championship.
Barrett, Mo’unga and Damian Mckenzie were yesterday named as the pivots in Hansen’s 33-man squad, and punters should accept Barrett will don the No 10 jersey against the Wallabies in Sydney next Saturday night.
Given Mo’unga twice outplayed Barrett this season, and showed whitehot form in leading the Crusaders to back-to-back titles, the drums have been beating for him to become the top dog.
Last week Hansen accepted he was making a case, but said his form was to be expected because he works ‘‘behind a Rolls-royce’’ pack.
The luxury automobile manufacturer might feel inclined to pay Hansen a fee, given his line further sparked the debate and caused it to be repeated numerous times, including by Crusaders coach Scott Robertson after the Super final.
‘‘Both of them are very good players,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘Our job is to maximise the talent we’ve got. Over time, you will see Richie get more test matches, I’m sure.
‘‘But I think about a bloke prior to the [2015] World Cup we went to and everyone wanted us to drop Dan Carter, but he had one ingredient that the other blokes didn’t have, and that was experience.’’
Mo’unga earned his sole cap when he came off the bench against France in Dunedin in June, while Barrett boasts 64 caps.
‘‘Richie couldn’t have done anything more than he’s done this year for the Crusaders, he’s been outstanding,’’ Hansen said.
‘‘Every time I go to [AMI Stadium] I get told to put him in the team, and I walk away thinking ‘we’ve already put him in the team’. He’s in the squad, he’s 24 years old, he’s played one test match, he’s got competition from the specialist five-eighth in Beauden Barrett.’’
Mo’unga, like the majority of the Crusaders in the All Blacks, is almost certain to sit out Friday night’s ‘‘game of three halves’’ against Canterbury and Otago in Christchurch, and will have to beat out Mckenzie for the backup pivot spot if he’s to play in the Bledisloe Cup opener next weekend.
The fact Chiefs first-five Mckenzie can also play fullback would come into the equation when naming his 23, Hansen acknowledged.
That might not go down well with some Crusaders fans, who might also be peeved wing George Bridge, fresh from scoring 15 tries, didn’t make the squad.
‘‘You can’t be anything other than impressed, he’s played really, really well. But there is only enough room for so many,’’ Hansen said of Bridge. ‘‘He’s young and I’m sure he will get his moment.
‘‘Everybody in the [Crusaders] could have been in the side, that’s how good of a team they have got. That’s why I said the other day, they’ve got a Rolls-royce forward pack. They’ve got a Rolls-royce team, and that’s why they win the competition.’’