Mo’unga is wearing the wrong jersey
Steve Hansen scoffed when Lions coach Warren Gatland suggested that some Super Rugby teams might not be far off the standard of a ‘cold’ All Blacks. You’re ‘aving a laugh, mate, claimed Hansen. But if Gatland was trying out a few lines for rag week, how the hell then did a scratch Barbarians side give the All Blacks such a rattle at the weekend.
It put me in mind of Bob Monkhouse’s great line about hubris: ‘‘When I first said I wanted to be a comedian, everybody laughed. Well, they’re not laughing now.’’
Much of New Zealand is certainly not laughing any more. The current travails of the All Blacks are getting beyond a joke. There are the same problems every week. The attack comes off scrum and defence and not much else. And there is very little game control coming from Nos 9 and 10.
So it is quite bewildering that Richie Mo’unga is not in this All Blacks squad. This is a bloke who at the age of 23 has already guided teams to a Super Rugby title and a provincial title. Oh, sorry, I forgot, there is no comparison between Super Rugby and international rugby.
There certainly wasn’t much comparison at Twickenham for 40 minutes because Mo’unga completely outplayed Beauden Barrett. The All Blacks No 10 was not well served by TJ Perenara, but Barrett is still struggling with his game, something that started when the Crusaders rushed him earlier this year.
The trouble is that the All Blacks are becoming predictable. When Barrett chipped a ball over the defence Andy Ellis was there almost before the ball had left his boot. And poor old Perenara. The All Blacks like to play a flat ball off their half back in attack. But when your No 9 needs two steps before he releases the ball, then he is an interception waiting to happen.
The Barbarians picked off Perenara twice in the first half, both eventually leading to tries. On the second occasion the All Blacks’ attempt to plug the hole was not helped out by a terrible clearance kick from Barrett which gave the ball back to Julian Savea in full flight. There was certainly a marked difference in the standard of Mo’unga’s kicking under extremis and Barrett’s.
Mo’unga has other strengths. He is the best 10 in New Zealand, perhaps now in the world, at taking the ball to the line. He is a big part of the reason why Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue have looked so good outside him this season. Mo’unga’s running was quite brilliant in the provincial final and he carried it on against the All Blacks. He is also one of the best touch finders off penalty kicks that I have ever seen.
There are, of course, parts of his game that do not compare to Barrett’s. He is not remotely in Barrett’s class in the backfield. Mo’unga spilled a high ball against the Lions, he did it again in the provincial final and he dropped two against the All Blacks, one of which led to a try.
The first of those All Blacks’ kicks came from Lima Sopoaga and the second from Tawera KerrBarlow. The All Blacks’ game control improved out of sight when those two came on and the notion that Perenara is a better test halfback than Kerr-Barlow is looking sillier by the day.
Mo’unga’s defence is also a work-on. Mo’unga is brave and I am sure that some of his ‘rush’ defence has improved since watching Owen Farrell and the Lions shut down the Crusaders. But when Mo’unga gets his timing wrong, as he did against the All Blacks for Ngani Laumape’s try, then he gets squared up in a high position and doesn’t have time to adjust to make a low tackle.
But like Leon MacDonald and Brad Mooar, I have no doubt that Mo’unga is a future All Black, and potentially a great one. MacDonald went so far as to say: ‘‘There is a lot of Dan Carter about Richie Mo’unga. Very rarely do you see him rattled at all, at any level.’’
It is not an extreme comparison although I suspect Mo’unga may never match Carter’s greatness as a defender.
When Mo’unga was called up as All Blacks cover in Brisbane, he ended up sitting in the stands and missing the provincial semi. After his man-of-the-match performance in the final, Mo’unga was prompted by the interviewer to say he had been inspired by his week with the All Blacks. His answer was revealing.
Mo’unga said: ‘‘For me, having a week off and not being able to be with the boys, I was gutted, and to be back in this team, such a great culture, we all love each other, we all care.’’
Now I don’t know what you think, but that tells me a story of a young man who is not getting the same love in the All Blacks. I’m not saying we are in the bad old backof-the-bus days, but you don’t sense the same bond that slowly developed under Graham Henry and Richie McCaw.
New Zealand has been in denial for months now, but surely it is time to recognise that the All Blacks are lacking game management in the pivotal positions. Barrett may have a fizzer against France and Perenara, if selected, may come on and win a few turnovers. But having let Aaron Cruden drift away, this tour was a chance for Hansen to see the future.
Lucky for Hansen then that his old Crusaders muckers helped him out. Because the future just happened to be wearing a Barbarians shirt.
There certainly wasn't much comparison at Twickenham for 40 minutes because Mo'unga completely outplayed Beauden Barrett.