Mo’unga’s mirth bodes well
Room-mates Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett have had ample time to debate who ought to be playing first five-eighth for the All Blacks.
It’s Mo’unga, at least for this week, after being named to make his first test match start, when New Zealand meet Argentina in Nelson tomorrow.
Barrett was among the All Blacks’ brightest stars as they retained the Bledisloe Cup in sumptuous fashion against Australia last month, which he appeared to celebrate by talking to his fiancee on speaker phone. More from Mo’unga on that later.
For now, it’s about the firstfive question that dominated the end of the Super season, once Mo’unga’s Crusaders eliminated Barrett and the Hurricanes.
‘‘I don’t have the Stuff apps on my phone so I actually don’t really [keep up with those things],’’ Mo’unga said.
‘‘Reading the media was something I used to do when I first started playing footy. But it’s quite funny how things can change when you don’t play so well [and] how those things can feel [to you] and to your family as well.
‘‘It’s something I’ve worked on [in] the last couple of years is actually not reading the media. Obviously I was aware [of the Barrett debate] when I was doing media myself. For me, it was never about saying I should be starting ahead of Beaudy or whatever.
‘‘I’m just really grateful to be in this position and the experience that he has, he’s one of the world’s best 10s – in fact he is the world’s best 10 – so for me, my job is to come in here and learn as much as I can so that when I do get an opportunity I’m ready.’’
That chance comes for the 24-year-old at Trafalgar Park, on the back of helping win provincial and Super Rugby titles with Canterbury and the Crusaders, then making his test debut off the bench in June’s 49-14 win over France in Dunedin.
Mo’unga performed water boy duties in the 38-13 and 40-12 wins over the Wallabies which, along with rooming with Barrett this week, was designed to ease him into the role of steering the All Blacks’ ship around. ‘‘I’ve probably been picking his brains and asking a few questions when he was probably just about to go to sleep,’’ Mo’unga said.
And not just about opposition defensive structures or executing exit plays.
‘‘We’ve talked a lot about other things outside footy, which has actually been really helpful [in] getting to know him. I actually had the pleasure of listening to a few of his phone calls with [fiancee] Hannah on speaker, which has been an experience in itself.’’
But it’s not one that Mo’unga has emulated with his own fiancee.
‘‘I’m not so brave to have Sophie and I on speaker yet. We just got engaged last week.’’
The humour was a nice touch from Mo’unga and indicative of how he’s trying to approach the week. Yes, he’s achieving a lifelong goal tomorrow and, of course, seeing him wear the All Blacks’ No 10 jersey is a massive deal for his family, too.
But, as Mo’unga said, none of that really helps him on game day. He has to be calm and clearheaded, back his hunches and not be distracted by what others are thinking or saying about him. Hopefully the third time’s the charm for Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Two lots of shoulder surgery have put paid to the wing’s previous incarnations as an All Black. Now picked again for the first time since his most recent dislocation, against South Africa in Cape Town last October, the 27-year-old returns a very resilient character.
‘‘I was pretty pumped. It’s been another rollercoaster, the last year or so, and when Shandy [All Blacks manager
Darren Shand] read the team out, and my name featured, I was pretty pumped and had a big smile on my Milner-Skudder face. So no, bloody excited,’’ Milner-Skudder said after being picked to play Argentina in Nelson tomorrow.
Milner-Skudder suffered his first shoulder injury while on Super Rugby duty for the Hurricanes. That saw him sit out most of 2016, before he broke bones in a foot early last year. He was three tests matches back into his All Blacks’ comeback, when he dived on a ball at Newlands and immediately knew what had happened.
‘‘Probably the second time round was a little bit harder in terms of ‘oh bugger, here we go again’,’’ he said. ‘‘But then, at the same time, using the experiences and what I went though the first time round sort of helped.
‘‘It’s such a good feeling to know all that hard work and those tough times, you know, you get through them and you get out the other end.’’