Coming into the Autumn Nations Series, one of the biggest debates in the All Blacks camp was around the identity of their out-half as life after Richie Mo’unga continues.
Since Mo’unga left the Crusaders for Japan following the 2023 World Cup, Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett have shared the responsibility without head coach Scott Robertson settling on either playmaker just yet.
To be fair, both players are top-quality operators, but with some doubts hanging over McKenzie’s ability to control the very tight Test matches, Robertson reverted to Barrett for Saturday’s last-gasp win at Twickenham.
Barrett (33) was delivering a reminder of his enduring class before a second-half head injury ended his involvement and subsequently cost him his chance to feature against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night.
New Zealand’s attempts to lure Mo’unga home from Japan have so far proved unsuccessful, yet that the conversation even took place shows how highly he is rated, especially by Robertson, who worked closely with the 29-year-old during the pair’s time at the Crusaders.
Damien McKenzie is expected to receive the nod at out-half when New Zealand face Ireland
However, with the New Zealand Union adopting a similar directive as the IRFU in not selecting players plying their trade abroad, Mo’unga has, for now at least, sacrificed his All Blacks career for a healthy income of Japanese Yen.
McKenzie (29) is one of the most thrilling broken-field runners in the game, but having played much of his rugby from full-back, the Chiefs man is still adjusting to the demands of being an international ‘10’.
Although McKenzie started in the win over Japan a fortnight previously, it was telling that Robertson went back to Barrett, whose delightful switch play to create Will Jordan’s sensational try was a snapshot of what he is all about.
Scanning the space, Barrett identified England prop Ellis Genge on the fringe of a ruck, and with Jordan brilliantly reading his cue from deep, the All Blacks duo carved open the English defence for a brilliant score.
New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson faces a number of selection dilemmas against Ireland
McKenzie possesses that creative spark, too, as he showed late on at Twickenham. It was his dummy grubber-kick followed by a slightly delayed pass to Jordan that opened up just enough space on the edge for Mark Tele’a’s wondrous finish in the corner.
With the score tied at 22-22, McKenzie’s remarkable composure to nail the difficult touchline conversion secured a narrow lead that England ultimately did not overturn, despite two late chances from the boot of George Ford.
Barrett’s injury-enforced absence against Ireland makes Robertson’s out-half selection much more straightforward, as the door reopens for McKenzie to run the show against Jack Crowley.
Even if he is not one to shirk his defensive responsibilities, McKenzie is a slight enough presence in the defensive channel, so from that end, he can expect a lot of heavy traffic from the likes of Bundee Aki and Caelan Doris.
Robertson’s decision at ‘10’ may be easy, but he has a big call to make in terms of who partners McKenzie at half-back in Dublin on Friday night.
Ireland boss Andy Farrell (left) will hope to effectively counter New Zealand’s strengths in his line-up
Despite enjoying a breakthrough Rugby Championship campaign during the summer of 2024, Cortez Ratima (23) wasn’t at his best in London, and with Cam Roigard fit again, it may be that Robertson looks to the half-back duo that finished the game at Twickenham to start at the Aviva.
Just as Mo’unga is out of the picture, so too are Aaron Smith (retired) and TJ Perenara, who is also bound for Japan, making the scrum-half battle just as fascinating as the out-half debate.
Seven months out with a knee injury had curtailed Roigard’s progress until a fortnight previously, but having now got a couple of games under his belt, it would be no surprise if Robertson hands the Hurricanes man the No.9 jersey, which would see him come up against a former ‘Cane in Jamison Gibson-Park.
Regardless of what way Robertson goes, both sets of half-backs will have a major say in Friday night’s result.
The Kiwis will also be forced to make a change at hooker as, like Barrett, Codie Taylor has been ruled out with a head injury.
Asafo Aumua made a big impact when called upon early at Twickenham, and his powerful presence adds a fresh dynamic to a pack that is being led by 22-year-old sensation Wallace Sititi.
The dazzling Chiefs back-row announced his arrival on the Test stage in style during the Rugby Championship, and since then, he has gone from strength to strength.
The make-up of Ireland’s back-row will be fascinating as Andy Farrell weighs up continuing with Tadhg Beirne in the back-row, just as he did in the second Test win in South Africa in July 2024.
Ireland’s Caelan Doris will hope to emerge on top in his expected match-up with New Zealand’s Ardie Savea
A key part of Ireland’s defensive game-plan will be centred around nullifying the threat of Sititi, who mixes raw pace and power with devastating footwork and a beautiful offloading ability.
Crucially, Sititi’s emergence has also helped lighten the sizeable load off Ardie Savea who, although he hasn’t yet hit the heights of 2023, usually saves his best for Ireland, whose captain Doris will be hugely motivated to come out on top in that head-to-head after the All Blacks No.8 got the better of him in the 2023 World Cup Quarter-Final.
There will be tantalising match-ups all over the pitch on Friday night, and as McKenzie is handed the keys once again, it’s up to Ireland to unlock the door.