Mo’unga should start against Italy
The All Blacks are in Rome this week and the barbarians are most definitely at the gate. England, South Africa and Wales have all shown signs of improvement this year but Ireland lead the charge.
The All Blacks must find a response and there has been talks of tweaks and new structures.
But tactics should always be subservient to selections and the change the All Blacks must make is to put Richie Mo’unga at No 10 against Italy with a view to keeping him there.
The All Blacks did create opportunities against Ireland in Dublin (you would worry if they did not) but none until Mo’unga came onto the field – and even then he wasn’t used in the way he could be.
After coming on in 57th minute it took him four minutes to get his hands on the ball, because the All Blacks could not quite divorce themselves from going to Beauden Barrett.
From a prime attacking scrum with Mo’unga looking poised to run flat and hard at the defence, the All Blacks instead went for a blindside play in which TJ Perenara tried a grubber through for Barrett.
Ireland cleaned it up and sighed with relief.
You think they weren’t nervous about Mo’unga? Dream on.
Ronan O’gara has been telling every Irishman who might listen about the Crusaders No 10 with the quick feet, brilliant hands and sharp mind. And that’s just in public. Goodness knows what warnings he has issued in private.
They were so concerned that the tiring Johnny Sexton later collected Mo’unga with a high shot when the All Blacks realised the way to attack Ireland was to use Mo’unga’s ability to hit the line – hard.
‘‘High tackle anyone?’’ referee Wayne Barnes asked his TMO immediately after the incident. Sexton was a little fortunate they did not review it.
People will ask, OK then, but what did Mo’unga actually do that was so special?
It doesn’t need to be ‘special’. He narrowed Ireland’s defence. The All Blacks don’t need magic from every play.
He ran straight at them and turned their shoulders in because they could not afford to drift. He brought Anton Lienert-brown into the game and suddenly the All Blacks were over the gain line.
Look back at the tape – when Barrett started getting touches of the ball in phase play after Mo’unga, suddenly there was space. That’s a mighty coincidence.
But there was not enough of it. By my maths Mo’unga touched the ball 21 times (including penalty kicks) as first receiver when he came onto the field.
Barrett had 16 in that same period. He even took back the responsibility for penalty kicks into touch after Mo’unga took one immediately after coming on.
New Zealand has egalitarian ideals but on the field there has to be a leader. Who was calling the plays?
You can erase that doubt by asking Mo’unga to start the game.
Sadly, time has been wasted this year. As recently as late June, Damian Mckenzie was still regarded as the second best No 10 – he started the third test against France in Dunedin.
But what is done is done. There is still time.
The thing is this All Blacks team won’t be caught if they get it right at No 10.
That conclusion will be met with resistance from the Irish, who can now point to half a dozen world-class operators.
As good as the Irish were the All Blacks still have the edge when it comes to strike runners.
The answers are all there for the All Blacks, and Mo’unga is one of them.