Mo’unga is the answer for ABs
on about Mo’unga is that he has a high level of composure and an ability to move on from errors.
So while he missed touch twice from penalties against Argentina he didn’t let that spread into his goalkicking. In fact, he was seven from eight in Nelson: that’s a test-match goalkicker.
There will be those that say his lack of experience goes against him, but Barrett and Perenara’s combined 116 tests didn’t count for much on Saturday. Alarmingly, there didn’t seem to be one person in control during those final stages, moving the chess pieces around and taking on the ultimate responsibility.
The Barrett v Mo’unga debate has long since descended into a shouting match but this isn’t about proving who is ‘right’ (there is no ‘right’ answer) but finding the appropriate combination for certain tests.
The ‘problem’ with Barrett and McKenzie, if it can be called that, is that they are essentially the same sort of player. It’s a fundamentally different model to the Carter-Barrett model that served the All Blacks so well at the 2015 World Cup.
What the All Blacks now have to ponder is whether Barrett and McKenzie are the right combination against teams that can put them under pressure.
This is particularly true when they have a player in Mo’unga, the best, most composed player in the Super Rugby final, who so clearly brings a different and calmer set of skills to the table.
‘‘The Barrett v Mo’unga debate has long since descended into a shouting match.’’