Coach’s full support
Hansen ends debate by backing Barrett
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has pretty much ended the debate over whether Richie Mo’unga would be his starting flyhalf for the Rugby Championship by backing the more experienced Beauden Barrett.
Both were named in Hansen’s Rugby Championship squad on Monday, but Mo’unga’s performances in helping the Canterbury Crusaders to their ninth Super rugby title this year have seen a groundswell of opinion for him to supplant Barrett.
Hansen, who had tried to dampen down the volume of that opinion last week, said on Monday while Mo’unga was playing well, Barrett’s proven ability at the Test level would
Fifita was concussed during the Test series against France in June and struggled with his form since
sway his decision for the opener against Australia in Sydney on August 18.
“He’s [Mo’unga] played one Test match and he’s got competition from the specialist fiveeighth in Beauden Barrett, who’s played 64,” Hansen told reporters in Christchurch after he named the squad.
“Both of them are very good rugby players – our job is to maximise the talent we’ve got and over time you will see Richie get more Test matches, I’m sure.”
He said a similar debate had been circulating before the previous Rugby World Cup in England when Barrett was arguably playing better than All Blacks great Dan Carter.
Carter, however, demonstrated all of his experience from more than 100 Tests to guide the All Blacks to a tense 20-18 win over the Springboks in the semifinals and then to a 34-17 victory in the final against the Wallabies.
“Everyone wanted us to drop Dan Carter,” Hansen said.
“But he had one ingredient the other blokes didn’t have and that was experience. And I think you saw that experience come out in the big moments.
“So we have to build that experience for Richie, but Beauden has been the world’s best player for the last two years, so we won’t be in any rush to shift him.”
Hansen said dumped loose forward Vaea Fifita still remained in his plans for the end-of-season tour and 2019’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Fifita was concussed during the Test series against France in June and then struggled with his form ever since.
Fifita, 26, spent much of the Super Rugby season playing lock for the Wellington Hurricanes. –