As the confusion over who will take charge of the All Blacks for their next Test against Argentina in Christchurch a week on Saturday continues, so too, presumably, does the identity of the man wearing the No.10 jersey.
If, and it’s a big if, Ian Foster remains head coach – and New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson stated a decision will be announced in the coming days – Foster’s next team selection will be highly anticipated because dropping Richie Mo’unga to the reserves bench after his assured performance in his team’s stunning victory at Ellis Park would shine another light on Foster’s decision making.
The facts were easy to see at the weekend. With Beauden Barrett benched after his horrific fall on to his neck a week before in the All Blacks’ defeat at Mbombela Stadium, Mo’unga kicked six from seven in front of goal, calmly turned the Boks’ defensive tactics of charging up and towards the ball into a weakness with his ability to find space via a pass or kick, and generally played with the air of a man born for the job.
This was despite the pressure he and his team were under to right a teetering ship in front of a seething crowd of more than 60,000 on the high veld and despite, too, Mo’unga’s below-par performance the last time he wore the black No.10 jersey against France in Paris in November.
Read more: All Blacks arrive home as decision on Foster's future looms
Perhaps less easy to spot in the frantic Test as the All Blacks came back from a two-point deficit and Barrett’s sinbinning for an epic 35-23 win was the way in which David Havili carried himself throughout – with purpose and confidence – and how, one more position out, Rieko Ioane became increasingly dangerous with the ball.
Halfback Aaron Smith’s willingness to be more of a threat in possession helped provide more space than the All Blacks’ backs have become used to this year but the way in which Mo’unga took control, and the way in which those outside him responded, was something close to a revelation for what until this point has been an attack playing without clarity or depth.
So, what now? As the incumbent, Barrett will expect to resume control for the Test against the Pumas at Mo’unga’s home ground but it shouldn’t be as straightforward as that because it would be hard to justify changing a team which has delivered perhaps the most impressive victory of the Foster era.
The Boks lacked energy compared to their performance in winning 26-10 at Mbombela Stadium, but Mo’unga, who has won six titles in six years for the Crusaders and must be regarded as one of the most influential Super Rugby players ever, helped the All Blacks discover that holy grail of modern rugby; a way to escape suffocating rush defences.
Continuing to find ways to turn what is a uniform and dominant defensive strategy into something approaching a weakness among the top nations will remain a top priority for whoever is in charge of the All Blacks all the way to next year’s World Cup and beyond.
So, yes, the Mo’unga v Barrett debate is a live one again, and it shouldn’t be dismissed as simply a media construct, particularly if, against the odds, Foster retains his job.
The other part of the conundrum is what to do with Barrett if he doesn't start at first-five. Does he deserve to start at fullback ahead of brother Jordie? The Mo'unga at No.10 and Beauden Barrett at No.15 combination hasn't been particularly convincing in the past so it's difficult to see it being resurrected now.
It has become a more black and white issue: if Mo'unga starts, then Beauden is on the bench, and vice versa.
It may have been a coincidence, but Mo'unga appeared to grow in authority rather than shrink from it when Beauden, a late replacement, was yellow carded at the weekend; there was no doubt about who was in charge at that point - for Mo'unga or the All Blacks - and that clarity flowed through the team on their chase to what must be regarded as an improbable victory.
One of the major flaws of Foster’s reign has been his often misplaced loyalty to players past their best, and this is not to suggest that Barrett falls into that category, merely that Mo’unga’s excellence deserves to be rewarded and that it perhaps would be best for the team if it was.
Two of the big propping success stories of the win over the world champion Boks were Ethan de Groot, 24, and Fletcher Newell, 22, two players not even in Foster’s squad until brought in at short notice for the South African tour. Many observers predicted Newell would make the leap relatively comfortably but in the end Foster was effectively forced into it due to injury.
Just as Robinson and the NZ Rugby board must decide whether retaining Foster will help or hinder New Zealand’s chances at the World Cup in just over 12 months’ time, so must the head coach, whoever it is, decide which of Mo’unga or Barrett is the best starting first-five a week on Saturday, a selection that may have far-reaching consequences.
SHARE ME