If last Saturday night’s Super Rugby Pacific final was also a shadow trial for the All Black number 10 jersey, we had a winner.
It wasn’t the knockout blow that is probably needed to quell any further debate on the topic, but it certainly appears that Richie Mo’unga will be the man for the job after guiding the Crusaders to a 25-20 win over Damian McKenzie’s Chiefs in front of a stunned Hamilton crowd.
But it all could have been so different.
McKenzie was touted as the form fly half in New Zealand for much of the regular season, and fair enough too. The Chiefs recorded two very impressive wins over the Crusaders and it felt like McKenzie couldn’t put a foot wrong – until hitting a speed bump no one really saw coming in the form of the Queensland Reds.
The gutsy 25-22 win by the Reds in New Plymouth suddenly exposed some serious cracks in McKenzie’s game, by then Mo’unga’s Crusaders were on an upward trajectory towards the finals, so sentiment returned to the tried and true.
Which is fine and not at all unusual for opinion to sway towards the shiny new thing before settling back where it started in regard to the All Blacks, at least by the time they get around to playing.
McKenzie will still have his supporters and may well get a chance to wear the 10 jersey for just the third time in a 40-test career before the World Cup starts, but it feels as though he’s certainly going to have to make a pretty strong case to unseat Mo’unga.
How they’re both going to complement one another in the match day 23 will be quite fascinating, but the question now though is where does this leave Beauden Barrett?
While the Chiefs at least put up a serious fight in the final and can claim to be a little unlucky with a couple of key calls against the Crusaders, the same can’t be said of Barrett’s Blues in their semi-final the weekend before.
To say the 52-18 scoreline was a bottom of the barrel performance for the Blues is doing a serious injustice to barrels, because the rot that the loss set in may well permeate through into the earth below.
It’s fair to say that hiding may well have set the Blues back about four years, given that they stilled haven’t confirmed a replacement coach for Leon MacDonald (although if it’s not Vern Cotter then it will be a serious surprise) and have had no return other than a makeshift Super Rugby Trans-Tasman trophy in the former All Black fullback’s time in charge.
Barrett looks to have suffered the most. He has very much had his moments, is still a potent draw whenever he plays, but questions over his form have multiplied this season to the point where it would be pretty hard to find anyone outside Taranaki that would be serious about starting him at 10 for the All Blacks after his complete body of work in a blue jersey.
That leaves fullback as his only way back into the starting team, which sounds alright on paper with McKenzie coming off the bench, until we cast our minds back four years to when this last happened.
Obviously it didn’t work in the semi-final against England, who dismembered the All Blacks in a 12 point win that may as well have been 50, but it certainly looked OK in the quarter against Ireland. That game was won 46-14, but that probably said a bit more about the Irish at that stage too.
Does Barrett even make the bench?
Ian Foster has seemed reticent to use Will Jordan at fullback, despite him playing his Super Rugby there for the Crusaders, but a fresh mix of outside backs may well force Foster’s hand.
Mark Telea and Leicester Fainga’anuku are far too good to be sitting and watching, as is Jordan, so right now that’s the form combination. That would leave McKenzie at 23, coming on as a dual playmaker in the second half like he did twice last year in tight games against the Boks.
So, then Barrett will likely line up in the pool games and be on standby if one of the others goes down. While that’s certainly happened before, it’s not really the way we all saw the former double World Player of the Year’s Test career potentially finishing.
Foster’s loyalty is another factor though.
Barrett has been one of his pedigree horses and has never seriously been out of favour, ever.
There was never any danger of him not getting picked for the squad so just what his role ends up being will be known once the Rugby Championship gets underway.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
Stephen Donald
Fox
Roar Guru
You cannot use Foster as a scapegoat for a players inconsistency - a player - all players have to take ownership of their performances as individuals.
Nick
Roar Rookie
Running behind his midfield is a planned "move" yes? But yeah whether it works or not is another issue. Front foot ball helps.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
BB played well as a backup to Carter then struggled once he was given the position outright. Tim BB was world player of the year in 2016 and 2017. Dan the man had retired in 2015 post WC so that statement is very incorrect. It does clearly show you dont base your dislike of BB on his actual rugby tho as you cant possibly have followed the ABs and not know that. Mounga didnt play a test till 2018 when he came on in the 69th minute for Dmac.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
He signed OS. Pretty basic stuff Jeff. He understands he's not the future.
Billy Connolly
Roar Rookie
BB is back up only for RWC in case RM or DMac get injured. He hasn't demonstrated anything near where his best for since his sabbatical and playing behind an inconsistent Blues pack hasn't helped his cause in 23. Fozzie's inability to drop his favourites and wedge them in starting team ahead of arguably better players might see him snag a bench spot in return for his loyalty regardless of form at the expense of DMac.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
why do you feel the need to defame some people Jacko the Australian. Its a very good question isnt it Jeff the Russian. Perhaps with your personal attack you can explain why? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
And why do you feel the need to defame some people Jacko the Australian. Over the last 5 days you have consistently accused O'Keefe of bias and suggested he is trying to get into the Crusaders Hall of Fame. Those are quite clearly defamatory comments and I am surprised they have not been censored. These are not differe t opinions they are accusations from a sick mind.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Can you please tell me how you came to the following conclusion Jacko the Australian. "and its very clear Mounga does not want to fight for his position under Razor as the ABs coach."
Fox
Roar Guru
Barrett runs more direct than Mounga. Mounga very often run across or around his backs before he straightens. Sometimes it works if he finds a hole, sometimes not.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
That’s interesting and does explain a lot. Kirwan is a cock. Great player but an absolute failure as a coach and commentator
Good Game
Roar Rookie
Nah, it was something different for the RWC – the combination didn’t get the requisite time to gel keeping in mind BBs form over previous 3 years and RMs inexperience at that time. Hansen’s mistake was putting Cane on the bench, not having B Smith and (arguably) Crotty on the field during the semi. And of course, none of that guaranteed the win. England played an amazing game that day.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I am not sure he is the best lock as the NZ pack struggle when either Whitelock or Retallick are out injured. The other issue with the 3 locks is they will all be in their 30s by the end of the year. Of the 5 picked only Va'ai is likely to make the next WC. He has 20 minutes between the two Wales and Scotland games. 11 minutes v SA in the RC. He needs more time and they need to find another lock too.
One Eye
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
One Eye
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Have you looked at it. And as for your comments re RTS and the Blues and AB coaches. The decision to take RTS was a decision taken by Blues management and an outside business who agreed to pay the top up premium to secure him. Because number 12 was a perceived weakness for the Blues it was decided to play him there. MacDonald had little or no input in this decision. One could almost say he was handed a fait accompli. If you can, go back to past episodes of The Breakdown and hear John Kirwan on this. If you are looking for a power behind the throne look no further. He was totally involved and invested in all this. However the AB situation is totally different. This shows up Foster at his very worst. Selecting a man for the ABs who patently wasn’t up to international standard because as JK kept saying on The Breakdown “When is going to Learn if not selected and played” Well he never did learn and by being selected he took the place of another player who could have become a first choice. Whatever other excuses may be made for Foster this was him at his irresponsible worst handing out AB jerseys like lollies at a picnic !!!
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Nick does some great analysis but I do think he picks a position and only looks at things to support that. He doesn’t ever challenge his own views so it all has to be taken with a grain of salt
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
That is 100% correct. Which raises questions about him in the AB role
Jacko
Roar Rookie
So same as Mounga then eh Tim. Very inconsistant just like Spencer was. Id say Dmac went very well at test level as he kept Mounga out even tho Mounga was older. Mounga got his chance when Dmac flew home from Argentina and then Dmac got his achillies injury the next SR season and missed a lot of rugby due to it and as we all know achillies are difficult to come back from. Particully from players that use pace as their weapon. I think last time he started at 10 was a good win by the ABs over Arg. How would you rate Mounga's career? He aint never going to be a great.
Nick
Roar Rookie
Fronting up each week is definitely what they need to do. Disagree that Scott B is a 6. He's been the best lock in NZ the last 2 years. Take your 2-3 top locks out of any team & they'll struggle so it's not just NZ. Some promising talent coming through.