A wait of almost three years ends
The last time Richie Mo’unga started a match for the All Blacks, he was kicking at goal in a World Cup final and New Zealand were losing it by a point. That was October 2023. Almost three years later, and after a spell in Japan that took him out of national selection entirely, the 32-year-old was named at fly-half earlier today for Tuesday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fixture against the Lions in Johannesburg.
Dave Rennie has been asked about Mo’unga for most of the winter. Sir Steve Hansen said publicly that he did not expect the returning playmaker to push Ruben Love out of the Test side. The answer, for now, is a franchise game rather than a Test, but it puts Mo’unga back in the jersey and back in front of the coaching staff with a World Cup cycle running down.
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An entirely new fifteen
Rennie changed all 15 starters from the side that beat the Springboks 33-16 at Ellis Park on Saturday, a result that moved New Zealand back to the top of the World Rugby rankings. Patrick Tuipulotu captains again, as he did in the tour opener against the Stormers, and packs down alongside Sam Darry. Pasilio Tosi, Samisoni Taukei’aho and Siale Lauaki form the front row, with Semisi Ta’eiloa at number eight behind Ethan Blackadder and Wallace Sititi.
Beauden Barrett drops to full-back, Fehi Fineanganofo and Emoni Narawa take the wings, and Rieko Ioane pairs with Timoci Tavatavanawai in midfield. Noah Hotham partners Mo’unga at halfback. The bench splits five forwards to three backs and includes Saula Ma’u, who will win his first cap, plus recent tour call-ups Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Jamie Hannah.
Three days, two very different jobs
The turnaround is brutal by modern standards. Tuesday’s match falls 72 hours after a Test that left Rennie counting bodies and calling up reinforcements. His answer was to use everyone.
“With the naming of this matchday 23, everyone currently in the squad will have played on tour, which is great for creating depth and competition for places in the Test team,” Rennie said. He also flagged the obvious risk: “We know we will have to be at our very best again to prepare for what we know will be another physical match against a Lions side that has been lying in wait.”
That last phrase matters. The Lions have been waiting for this fixture while the All Blacks have spent their week in a Test match against the Springboks.
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