Dave Rennie explains Richie Mo’unga selection and reveals Beauden Barrett plan: ‘We are keen to give him that opportunity’
All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett and head coach Dave Rennie.
Dave Rennie says that Richie Mo’unga was always going to start the fourth Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test match regardless of the result in Soweto.
Mo’unga returns to the All Blacks at Test level for the first time since he started the 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat to the Springboks, taking over the number 10 jersey from Ruben Love.
The clash in Baltimore will be the first time in Rennie’s tenure that Love hasn’t started at Test match for the All Blacks, a decision that was made a “couple of weeks ago”, according to the head coach. Mo’unga’s international hiatus was a result of his move to Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus in 2023 but with the playmaker re-joining Canterbury, the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby, he has once again become eligible for selection.
Richie Mo’unga’s pre-planned selection
He was initially overlooked for the RGR touring squad due to NZ Rugby’s criteria that he had to represent Canterbury before being available but was called into the squad as an injury replacement for Billy Proctor and started the tour match against the Lions.
Mo’unga now gets the nod to face off against the Springboks with Rennie making several changes to his matchday 23, which includes the return of Beauden Barrett, who earns his first Test cap of the year.
“We talked about it a couple of weeks ago that, regardless of the result in Soweto, whether we came here up 2-1 or down 2-1, we were going to start Richie,” Rennie confirmed to reporters after naming his team for the series decider.
“He has been in the environment for a while; he’s got a really clear understanding of the game we want to play, and we are keen to give him that opportunity.”
Rennie added that when he told Love, who drops out of the matchday 23 entirely, about the selection call, he explained to the playmaker that they had already backed him in the All Blacks’ biggest Test match since the World Cup – the clash in Soweto.
“Ruben has gone really well, and he has played the first six Tests of the year,” the head coach continued.
“When I spoke to him, I stressed the fact that last week was probably the biggest Test the All Blacks have played since the World Cup final, and we trusted him to run the ship ahead of three more experienced 10s.
“So it highlights where we see him, but we’re keen to give Richie a crack, and he’s prepared really well this week.”
All Blacks’ fly-half depth
With Mo’unga back in the mix and Love performing well after being handed an extended run in the team, Rennie and his coaching team is spoilt for choice in the number 10 jersey.
The duo aren’t competing for the role alone as Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie have performed in the position for the All Blacks previously too while Josh Jacomb gave a good account of himself in the tour matches against the South African URC teams.
Rennie revealed that Barrett is likely to play at full-back in the fourth game against the Boks, but confirmed that doesn’t mean that’s his position going forward.
“Beauden is not out of the reckoning from a 10 point of view, and obviously Damian plays 10 too,” said the 62-year-old.
“So you know, between those guys we feel that we have got really good depth in 10 and 15. There’s no doubt Richie’s come in and been excellent. If you had asked Ruben about the help he’s got, Beauden has been great for him, as have Damian and Richie.
“That’s the idea for us to win: we need everyone going well, and while they’re competing against each other, they’re also helping each other grow, and Richie has got a lot of experience. Ruben has been really smart; he has got beside a lot of those guys and talked a lot of footy, and it’s really good for our group.”
Rugby World Cup plans
Looking ahead to the World Cup, Rennie was asked whether he could take all four of Barrett, Love, Mo’unga, and McKenzie to Australia; he replied: ” I mean, the fact that you know they cover 10 and 15 – potentially.”
This weekend’s game is also the first time that a playmaker has been included on the All Blacks bench, with the coaching staff not seeing the need to include fly-half cover in previous matches having fielded a dual playmaking axis.
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“We just felt the mix was good. With Rieko Ioane on the bench, he covers midfield and outside back,” Rennie said on the inclusion of Barrett in the 23 jersey.
“Obviously, we got Kyle Preston covering nine, and it gives us a chance to have a genuine 10/15 cover if we lost someone. Look, it’s been tough for Beauden; he has sat on the sidelines for the first six Tests of the year, and he has been phenomenal in his contributions to the group, has been excellent, and he has trained really well.
“He has played really well at 15 for us, and that’s probably primarily where he’ll get his crack on the weekend, but he has been great. So it’s been awesome to give him an opportunity.”
