Moody the ABs’ quiet enforcer
Joe Moody barely twitches an eyebrow if an opponent gives him a gobful on the rugby field. Most people would avert their eyes and keep their mouth shut if forced to share a narrow corridor with the All Blacks loosehead prop, let alone attempt to wind up him when his adrenaline is pumping during a test match.
Some still try their luck, though. The 122 kg Moody’s response? Nothing.
‘‘I am normally too tired, catching my breath. I don’t really say anything to the opposition on the field,’’ Moody says.
‘‘Even when I get a sledge coming my way, I just sort of smile and give them a nod.
‘‘I try not to get caught up in that side of things.’’
Hookers, for whatever reason, can be more verbose.
The referee’s microphone sometimes relays snippets of Dane Coles chatting away, and Codie Taylor also doesn’t mind sharing his thoughts with opponents.
Moody, who will play his 44th test in the World Cup quarterfinal against Ireland at Tokyo Stadium tonight, reckons he’s not wired that way.
‘‘There’s definitely some guys who love to throw a bit of banter back and forth.
‘‘It’s just that when I am on the field, it’s not in my nature to say anything back to anyone.’’
The 31-year-old will have enough to keep occupied him against Ireland, in any case, as the All Blacks attempt to tame a scrum mentored by ex-All Black Greg Feek.
For Moody there will be a familiar foe in the shape of Tadhg Furlong, a man so burly he resembles a block of Oamaru stone decorated with a nose and eyes, in the green No 3 jersey.
Moody and Furlong have clashed six times in the past; on four occasions during the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand (one was when the Crusaders lost 12-3 in Christchurch) in 2017, and twice in 2016 when the All Blacks played Ireland in Chicago and Dublin.
This promises to be a gladiatorial contest between two props ranked among the best in the sport.
Moody has already proved his value in knockout games at a World Cup.
Having missed selection for the 2015 squad, he was called up from New Zealand when Tony Woodcock suffered a tournament-ending leg injury in the final pool game.
Wyatt Crockett’s turn to suffer misfortune came a week later when he pulled a hamstring in the first half of the quarterfinal against France in Cardiff; Moody replaced him off the bench, started the semifinal and final and returned home with a World Cup winner’s medal.
The 62-13 drubbing of France was memorable, not least because it buried the ghosts of when the All Blacks suffered a shock quarterfinal defeat to Les Bleus at the same venue in 2007.
Wing Julian Savea scored a hattrick of tries that day, and the images of Moody flicking out a clever offload in a tackle had the social media brigade comparing him to Sonny Bill Williams.
He remains capable of getting a wing free to drop a juicy pass to a support runner, if required, he says.
‘‘I still have it in the arsenal if it needs to come out. It seems a lot of the running these days in the game, that you are just running into brick walls.
‘‘So you are not getting into those kinds of positions. I need to get into the open paddock and get
‘‘There’s definitely some guys who love to throw a bit of banter back and forth. It’s just that when I am on the field, it’s not in my nature to say anything back to anyone.’’ Joe Moody, right
some one on one opportunities to get the arm out for the offload.’’
The All Blacks are big on practising offloads at trainings, and coach Steve Hansen selected a squad loaded with mobile, fast and skilled players in a bid to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
Moody, who also represented New Zealand at the Oceania championships as a wrestler, played No 8 in the Christ’s College first XV in Christchurch, and stayed in that position when he joined the Lincoln club the following year.
It was Canterbury Rugby Football Union manager and exCrusaders hooker Matt Sexton who asked if he was interested in taking his rugby seriously. But there was a catch.
‘‘He came to me while I was playing club footy and said ‘I have got a position for you in the preacademy if you want it’,’’ Moody, who was driving trucks at the time, says.
‘‘It was on one condition, that I changed from No 8 to prop. I didn’t really jump at the opportunity, I guess. I had to think about it a bit.’’
Ayear in the pre-academy, followed by three more in the CRFU academy, launched Moody’s career. He should have debuted for the All Blacks on their northern tour in 2013 but a busted leg while playing for Canterbury in the provincial final against Wellington put paid to that and he had to wait until the following year to earn his first cap.
There’s no chance of him trying to be a tighthead, either.
He recalled swapping to the other side of the front row at a Crusaders training, and came away with a colourful eyeball.
Moody is used to the pressure of being wedged in the front row, which can result in him seeing stars and feeling light headed for several seconds after a scrum, but his brief experience at tighthead meant he came away with an unusual injury.
‘‘I always used to give Owen [Franks] a bit of stick about the loosehead side being the strong side.
‘‘Then at Crusaders training, when I went to tighthead, I burst a blood vessel in my eye because of the pressure.’’
The days of a test prop playing 80 minutes are rare. Atu Moli worked through to the final whistle in the pool game against Canada in Oita but that was an aberration.
Moody reckons he could go to the end, but usually expects to be replaced at some point in the third quarter.
‘‘You can be absolutely shattered and just hanging out for the sub.
‘‘In those moments, when you are feeling pretty shagged, you can find yourself having a quick glimpse over to the bench to see whoever is coming on for you is warming up or if they are still sitting down with the bib on.’’
Moody has mastered the art of knowing how to get his head right before games.
The All Blacks coaches present players with their game plans on a Monday, and that’s when the homework has to be done.
Finding ways to relax is important; during their stay in Japan some players have organised games of darts and cards and once a week they can wander into the neon-lit streets for a meal on their own.
Forwards coach Mike Cron organises a game of backgammon on the eve of games, but Moody has yet to learn the game so he and Scott Barrett bring out the cards and challenge allcomers to a game of 500.
Moody says he doesn’t get worked up before games. He sleeps ‘‘like a baby’’ and he’s relaxed during the national anthems.
‘‘When we get to the haka I start getting a few butterflies, and getting a bit more hyped up.
‘‘After the haka everything focuses in for me, and all the nerves got out the door.
‘‘It’s game on.’’