All Blacks great Israel Dagg has warned Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie against sulking at the prospect of being joined by another rival for the 10 jersey.
It was confirmed last week that Richie Mo’unga, who was first choice fly-half at both the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, will return to New Zealand next year ahead of the 2027 global tournament.
Scott Robertson still has two fine options at his disposal in Barrett and McKenzie, but neither have managed to nail down that spot over the past year.
That could change with the arrival of Mo’unga, who has an excellent relationship with Robertson from their time together at the Crusaders.
Robertson-Mo’unga relationship
As Dagg explained, the 31-year-old is very much “Razor’s guy” and may well be the playmaker the head coach looks towards for the World Cup in Australia.
It has the potential to bolster the All Blacks and provide them with some clarity heading into the World Cup but, equally, it carries a significant risk and may upset the apple cart, giving them further problems in the months leading up to that competition.
Dagg very much hopes it is not the latter and has urged the two current fly-half options to produce statement performances prior to Mo’unga’s arrival.
“This is happening, this is coming to fruition. He has signed, he is coming back next year, so it’s on you to get in that position, get in that jersey and make it even more difficult for him to come and take that role off you,” he said on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy show.
“If you go out there performing and you’re out there producing results and playing some fantastic rugby, that’s only good for the team and good for your credentials, and it will make it even more difficult for him.
“Take it on the chin, let’s go boys. Make it a dogfight out of that 10 position.”
Dagg knows both Robertson and Mo’unga well having played for the Crusaders from 2011 to 2019.
The former back three star’s career coincided with the start of the dynasty, with the fly-half Mo’unga making his franchise debut in 2016 and the head coach arriving a year later.
Those three won two titles together, in 2017 and 2018, albeit Dagg’s involvement in the second season was hampered by injury, which eventually led to his retirement in April 2019.
However, it was more than enough time for him to understand the brilliance of the playmaker and how he and Robertson dovetailed nicely.
Mo’unga ‘that influential’
“You have seen that with coaches in the past, they’ve always got their player, the guy that they go to, that they lean on in certain moments. There are no surprises, that’s Razor’s guy. They know each other,” Dagg said.
“He is a very different thinker and not everyone’s slice of bread, as many would know, but they have got a great relationship and they’ve got a great understanding of what each other needs.
“He has proven it in the past. Without Richie Mo’ and Razor together, or Razor not having Richie, I don’t think any of those results would have happened, he is that influential.
“In 2017, we had a squad, we had so many unbelievable players in every position… but just watching him grow, the longer it went on, the longer you had the experienced Richie, the game breaker Richie at the helm, there’s no doubt in my mind he was a big part of why they were able to do what they do.
“His ability to break open a game when nothing’s doing out there was absolutely crazy, and he has just got control. He’s calm out there when you need to get the team out of pressure positions.”
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