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Let's hope that Richie Mo’unga wasn't serious about the All Blacks
You hope that Richie Mo’unga was just being polite.
That in being interviewed by local media, upon his arrival in Japan to play for Toshiba Brave Lupus, he wanted to show the local audience his intentions are good.
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That he’s not just there for the, reported, $2 million per season in cash. That he’s genuinely enthused to play in League One and not already thinking of an exit strategy.
You hope that.
Because, without Mo’unga, the cupboard of competent first five-eighths’ back here in New Zealand is pretty bare.
Look, new players always emerge.
I always think back to 2015 and guys like McCaw, Carter, Smith, Woodcock, Mealamu and Nonu hanging up their All Blacks jumpers. I recall the comments that the team would go to hell in a hat, only to prove just about unbeatable in 2016.
But I can’t imagine for a second that, given their reportedly close relationship and enormous success together, new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson isn’t regularly in Mo’unga’s ear.
Again, I hope that.
I’m about as enthusiastic a Beauden Barrett supporter as you’ll find, but I want to see what Mo’unga can do for the All Blacks without him.
I don’t think their shared presence has enhanced the career of either of them. On that basis, I’ve argued for one or the other to be left to run the team in peace.
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After a while I didn’t even care which one. I just thought the All Blacks needed one game-driver and not two.
Life in a foreign country isn’t always as much fun for wives and children as it is for the player. Sure, the money’s good and the lifestyle novel for a bit, but families need support.
The 29-year-old Mo’unga can say that he wants to play out his rugby days in Japan, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
I applaud him for making the right noises and for telling his new Japanese employers and fanbase that he’s committed to Toshiba and enthused by the competition. That he sees his game growing in this exciting new environment and can’t wait to achieve success.
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But I think the best of Mo’unga as an All Black is still ahead of him and that Robertson has always been the coach who’s fostered his talents most.
So I hope this was just paper talk. That Mo’unga still harbours All Black ambitions and that, in concert with Robertson, he does eventually make the same mark on test footy that he has on Super Rugby.
I wish him and his family well in Japan, but I sincerely hope he’s back playing on these shores before too long.
I think he sees the writing on the wall, without SA in Super rugby and the possibility of SA moving to the 6ix Nations….. yeah jump ship and maximize his earning potential
Yet to be seen. SA teams didn’t win the URC, Euro cup last up. Fact. Whether Italy will vote for Xmas like a turkey in the 6N, also to be seen. What would you do if you were Italian? Wakey, wakey.
Mo’unga has a three year contract up to June 2026 so could only miss two years of test rugby. If he still has the fire then by all means he can come back and compete for his old spot.
10 bucks says he and Razor already know that he’ll very likely be eligible and picked to play for the ABs while Playing in Japan.
I can feel it in my Indian Ocean waters.
The ABs don’t need to make dramatic changes to their eligibility rules. Since they’re so nervous about it. Something in the middle. ABs with 30 or more caps (for example). Or perhaps a restriction on the number Razor can pick. It’s going to happen sooner or later. Maybe NZRU should just dip the tip?
You wouldnt change the rule for Mounga. He aint a great. Hardly even a test 10. Just like when far better players than him left NZ we will find suitable replacements. He wont even be missed.
NZ rugby is like an arm in a bucket of water, pull your arm out and it doesn’t really leave a hole.
For me Mo’unga has not been the consistent success story at test level he has in Super Rugby.
The detriment of not having Barrett in the backfield may be almost worth losing Mo’unga.
RM has struggled at test level at times, and has only really come into his Super Rugby form in the test arena recently, but IMO the structure of the backline defence is better without Mo’unga than without Barrett.
On limited evidence the McKenzie 10 /Barrett 15 duo doesn’t fill me with dread if the forward pack is performing.
However my feeling is Razor will bring the best out of the complete pool. And whoever he selects will do their job to the best of their ability, and I wouldn’t exclude anyone just yet.
Barrett at 10 please god no do anything to bring Mounga back, pay him 3milbreak all the doors down but please no Barrett at 10.
I really do hope Beauden finds his mojo though, sure his athleticism got him a long way but it was more his instinctive play that got him the jump on his opposition, and he seems to have lost that through injury, burden, or concussion worry. I believe it can be a slow road but he looked to be on it the 2nd half of the year, though I think that more a positional change if I had to guess.