All Blacks five-eighth Richie Mo’unga has a message for the New Zealand public. He gets your hurt, he understands your angst and he accepts your criticism – but, sorry, he’s too busy trying to help fix a broken team to dwell on it right now.
That was the gist of a heartfelt and emotional reflection from the 28-year-old, 36-test No 10 in Johannesburg on Monday as he let the barriers down in an impressive chat with the small New Zealand media contingent on tour with the team.
Of course, these are demanding, almost unprecedented, times for the All Blacks. Only four times in their 616-test history have they lost by more than the 16-point margin against the Springboks at Mbombela Stadium last Sunday (NZT), and it was their heaviest defeat in the republic in 94 years.
They are also on a three-test losing skid in 2022, and have dropped five of their last six internationals, dating back to last November’s loss in Dublin. They simply cannot take a trick right now, and appear to be stuck in a spiral of ineptitude. And their public have had enough, piling on the team, and especially their head coach, with toe-curling fervour.
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It was a sobering time at Mbombela Stadium as the All Blacks reflected on a 26-10 defeat to South Africa.
There is no respite on the horizon either, with the weekend’s Rugby Championship rematch against the world champion Springboks at their imposing Johannesburg fortress of Ellis Park. Not the place you want to play the South Africans when your confidence, form and rhythm is shot.
With that in mind, and Mo’unga poised to slot in as starting No 10 if there are any doubts around the neck injury sustained in Nelspruit by Beauden Barrett in a nasty mid-air collision with Kurt-Lee Arendse, the normally ebullient Cantab was asked how the All Blacks were handling the public reaction to their losing run.
“It’s part of it, but we’ve got younger guys in the group who haven’t experienced it at this level before, so it’s really tough on them,” he said at the team hotel in Sandton on a fine winter’s day. “It’s not just us, it’s our families. As someone who’s been there before and been around for a while, my mindset doesn’t change, my energy doesn’t change.
“I’m chomping at the bit to have another crack, but I’m also at the point where the outside noise doesn’t matter for me. It doesn’t affect me. I’m at a stage now if you’re not in our squad, I don’t really care what you think, with all respect.
“I understand the fans and people out there can get frustrated with results. But we’re trying our best, and we know it’s not good enough for All Blacks standards. So preparations will be very deep to get the result this weekend.”
Asked if he felt the criticism was fair, Mo’unga nodded slowly.
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Richie Mo’unga has come off the bench in all four tests so far in 2022, but would love to get a starting crack this week.
“It’s very fair,” he replied. “A team they support that usually gets results is not getting results, and it’s fair the fans care. They care about our team and care about our results, but it’s also fair of us to not care about what they think because we have a job to do and hearing that isn’t going to help us.”
Later Mo’unga, who is clearly a conscientious fellow, reached out to clarify his comments about “not caring” what fans think. He meant to say they “weren’t bothered” by what people were saying.
Fair due. It’s an important distinction.
So, Ellis Park, with its devilish mix of altitude and attitude? Mo’unga has played there before, with the Crusaders, and at nearby Loftus Versfeld with the All Blacks. He has a fair idea what to expect.
“Nothing compares to it,” he says, as a smile breaks out. “For me this is the pinnacle. This is where you want to be playing against a team that is just awesome. There’s the noise, 60-odd thousand at altitude – you feel the blood in your lungs, you can taste it, and you understand the history. It’s a privilege to play at a place like that.”
Mo’unga is a little more guarded when it comes to any frustrations he may or may not have been feeling around his diminished status in these All Blacks. Since midway through last year he has ceded the regular starting No 10 spot to Barrett, and you just know the impact role off the bench doesn’t sit comfortably with him.
He hints at a burning desire to prove himself – and somehow disprove the notion he gets lost behind a struggling pack – but is careful to toe the team line.
“I wouldn’t say frustrated,” he says of four straight outings off the pine in ’22. “I’m the type of guy whatever role you give me in this team, I’ll do the best I can. But also I’m just ready. I’m capable of a start as well, I’m capable of being the guy, if the team needs me to be that guy.
“But I also understand if I have a role to come on for the last 20-30 to change a game around, I’m ready.”