All Blacks team: Five takeaways including Richie Mo’unga’s fresh start while Dave Rennie reacts to ‘failing set-piece’
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and an inset of hooker Codie Taylor.
Following the announcement of Dave Rennie’s All Blacks team for the final Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series Test against the Springboks, here are our five takeaways.
Top line
With the opportunity to level the RGR series at two apiece, the head coach has made a plethora of changes for the final meeting with South Africa in Baltimore.
Most notably, Richie Mo’unga makes his return to international rugby after a three-year hiatus, having last pulled on the All Blacks jersey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against the Springboks. He replaces Ruben Love, who started the first six Test matches this year under Rennie, while further changes in the backline sees Josh Moorby replace Leroy Carter on the wing, while Anton Lienert-Brown takes over from the injured Quinn Tupaea in the centres.
Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan remain in the starting back-three with Moorby, while Jordie Barrett is retained in the 12 jersey as Cam Roigard partners Richie Mo’unga in the halfbacks.
There are further changes in the forward pack with an entirely new front row named in the form of props Fletcher Newell and Ethan de Groot, with Codie Taylor skippering the team from hooker in the absence of the injured Ardie Savea. Blues locks Sam Darry and Patrick Tuipulotu combine in the engine room, the former retaining his starting role, while Tupou Vaa’i shifts to the side of the scrum; Ethan Blackadder earns his first Test start under Rennie in the seven jersey while Peter Lakai fills Savea’s void.
There is an all-Hurricanes front row on the bench in the form of Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia and Tyrel Lomax, with Rennie continuing with the traditional 5-3 split. Josh Lord also returns as lock cover from the bench after missing the second and third Tests through concussion, after a nasty head clash with De Groot, while Wallace Sititti completes the forward cover.
Kyle Preston continues in the number 21 jersey, but Rennie included veterans Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett, who could earn their first caps under the new head coach this year.
All Blacks’ depth litmus test
Much has been made about the Springboks’ depth since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with Rassie Erasmus utilising around 50 players in the past two seasons. The strength of South Africa’s player selection pool has been widely praised, but many have argued that France and New Zealand are the only teams capable of matching it.
We will get an answer as to whether that is the case or not with the All Blacks in Baltimore, with Rennie forced to make several rotations and have given several opportunities to players, while Erasmus has stuck to pretty much the same matchday 23 for the third week in a row.
Ahead of the third match against the Springboks at the FNB Stadium, Rennie stated that cohesion and continuity are a big part of the All Blacks’ system, and this is where the real litmus test comes in for those getting a run-out this weekend and perhaps why a player like Mo’unga hasn’t been given a chance earlier in the series.
Can the pivot dovetail with the first-choice scrum-half, Roigard, like Ruben Love has in the six Test matches prior, and do the same with Jordie Barrett – who he has plenty of experience playing alongside throughout his career? Can the pack, in Rennie’s words, ‘bar-up’ and be effective in the set-pieces and at the breakdown?
Ultimately, it’s all good and well to have the strength in depth and talent across the board, but what matters is the performances on the pitch, and that will be what the coaching staff will look at most closely. After naming his team to face the Springboks in the decisive Test match, Rennie admitted that this is an opportunity for several players to put the pressure on the selectors with an eye to the World Cup but best believe that their shifts will be viewed holistically and not in a spotlight.
Richie Mo’unga’s chance to shine
After six back-to-back Test match starts, Ruben Love drops out of the matchday 23 with Rennie selecting just his second fly-half during his tenure as Richie Mo’unga takes on the playmaking duties.
Former head coach Scott Robertson was desperate to get Mo’unga back on New Zealand shores during his tenure and even suggested a relaxation of NZ Rugby’s selection policy on overseas talents. While he was unsuccessful with the latter, he was successful in the former, but it is Rennie who will benefit from his efforts, with Mo’unga getting his first Test start against the Boks this weekend.
Make no mistake, Baltimore is a huge opportunity for the 32-year-old playmaker to stamp his authority on the number 10 jersey that he made pretty much his own between 2019 and 2023, but this is an entirely new coaching team, and Mo’unga is starting from scratch.
Sure, he has pedigree and experience that Rennie and his staff won’t disregard completely, but the head coach has been faithful to certain players so far in his tenure. A blockbuster display from Mo’unga won’t result in a discardment of Love, but it can certainly shake up the pecking order.
When he has been at the top of his game, it was undeniable that Mo’unga was a world-beater and one of the best in his position globally, but the big question will be: is the same Richie Mo’unga who packed his bags for Japan three years ago the same one who has returned, or has he got better or even worse?
Rennie is too wise to pin too much weight on a single outing, but the playmaker will be eager to issue a statement of intent this weekend.
Set-piece improvement is a must
There are plenty of positives that Rennie can take away from the tour in South Africa, but he will be demanding an improvement in the set-pieces at the home of the Ravens this weekend.
The All Blacks coaches and World Rugby don’t see eye-to-eye on the Springboks’ scrum tactics, with Rennie admitting that they simply have to get over it and cannot change the officials’ opinion on the set-piece. Quite simply, New Zealand have to improve their scrum work – it has to be part of Rennie’s remit to get the All Blacks back on track for the Rugby World Cup.
When Jason Ryan first came into the coaching set-up during Ian Foster’s tenure, he turned the pack into one that achieved parity with South Africa, so it’s certainly achievable, but right now, it’s a huge area of concern. They simply cannot afford to concede four penalties and a penalty try against the Boks in the scrums again and expect to win.
Rennie has reacted to the failing set-piece in Soweto by replacing four of his tight five and will demand improvements despite his ongoing row with World Rugby around the scrums. For De Groot, Taylor and Newell, it’s an opportunity to restore pride in the All Blacks’ scrum and prove that they can mix it with the most destructive scrum in international rugby.
However, the set-piece issues are not exclusive to the scrum, as New Zealand’s lineout inaccuracies have hamstrung their attack during the series. In Soweto, they reverted to throwing to the front of the lineout, going short to Bower in the front. This is far from an ideal attacking platform to launch from, with Rennie admitting that the tactic was simply to retain possession. The small margins matter in international rugby and the likes of Darry, Tuipulotu, Vaa’i and Taylor need to find an answer to the Springboks’ lineout competing and maul dominance.
Last chance saloons and fresh starts
It’s not just a fresh start for Mo’unga in the black jersey, as Rennie is allowing other players the opportunity to rekindle their careers. Ethan Blackadder comfortably fits into this category, with the head coach speaking highly of the Crusaders loose forward.
“Ethan will go 120 minutes if you need him to, so it made sense to start him, and he has been excellent,” he said when explaining the back row selections.
Blackadder was monumental for Robertson back in 2024 before injury struck, and it has taken until now for the 31-year-old to force his way back into the Test set-up. He has been incredibly unlucky in terms of injuries, but it’s clear that he is still highly regarded by the coaching team. The All Blacks aren’t lacking depth in the loose forwards, but this weekend is Blackadder’s opportunity to prove that he deserves more consideration going forward.
Jacobson has been Rennie’s go-to selection in the number seven jersey in the six Tests to date and is part of the leadership group in the new regime, but Blackadder is certainly a player that they can rely on, particularly with his ability to play across the loose trio, and there is no better team to prove a point against than the Springboks.
The All Blacks bench has also been bolstered by the addition of 232 Test caps’ worth of backline experience in the form of Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett. The duo were regular features in Ian Foster and Scott Robertson-coached All Blacks teams but get their first Test shots under Rennie this weekend. Ioane fell out of favour with Robertson last year when his form took a notable dip, with the former head coach even trialling him on the wing again.
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However, he has looked in good nick against the South African clubs and looks to be getting back to something resembling his best following his time with Leinster. The issue is that Jordie Barrett and Tupaea are clearly the first-choice centre combination, with Lienert-Brown and Proctor next in the pecking order, while New Zealand have no shortage of quality wingers. There is no denying Ioane’s talents, but right now, he is just not commanding a spot on the wing or in the centres. Baltimore won’t make-or-break his international career, but he is approaching last-chance saloon territory.
The same is somewhat true for Beauden Barrett, who is stuck behind McKenzie and presumably Jordan for the full-back role and possibly Moorby too. At fly-half, there is Love, Mo’unga, McKenzie and Josh Jacomb. There is no way that Rennie completely shuts out the 144-Test-cap international, but Barrett’s Super Rugby form this campaign showed signs that he is on the decline.
Father time catches up with every player and looks to be taking his toll on Barrett right now, but Baltimore provides him with the chance to prove that he still has plenty left in the tank.
