All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has weighed in on the All Blacks first five-eighths stocks as the Richie Mo’unga intrigue continues.
Speaking in studio on Jason Pine’s Newstalk ZB radio show, Robertson took questions direct from fans ahead of the All Blacks first Test of 2025.
Despite playing in Japan for the last two seasons, the talk of Richie Mo’unga continued to swirl as one fan put it to Robertson for his thoughts on whether he would be starting for the All Blacks at the next Rugby World Cup.
Robertson claimed the All Blacks already have “four good 10s” and confirmed that he considered Hurricanes playmaker Ruben Love as an option for the position, behind incumbents Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett.
“Look, I see Richie as a valuable part of New Zealand rugby when he’s back,” Roberston said of Mo’unga.
“We know what he can do, we’ve got a couple of great 10s at the moment as well, experienced, and with Richie experienced as well and we’ve obviously got to get the next group coming through as well, hence why we picked Ruben Love.
“He’s got a beautiful balance between 10 and 15 and when the Hurricanes put him in there we were watching like everyone else, he just stood up to it. He’s matured nicely.
“We’ve got four good 10s at the moment and we’re looking at the fifth and sixth, as you always do,” he said.
One of those 10s might be Rivez Reihana who piloted the Maori All Blacks to victory over the Japan XV in Tokyo on Saturday, after playing a steady hand in the Super Rugby final win over the Chiefs.
Roberston said Reihana is “coming of age nicely” and played very well for the Maori All Blacks.
Robertson still saw his experienced pair of 10s his top two options who bring many similarities to the squad.
“We gave D-Mac a really good crack last year. We wanted to give him as much opportunities to learn his craft. We know he’s courageous, don’t we,” he said.
“And same with Beauden tactically aware, still at 33, playing good footy [and] physically in great nick so to have the balance of the two is perfect.
“They both run the game slightly differently. They both play 10 and 15 well and can both come off the bench.”
McKenzie started through the July series against England and Fiji, before taking the reigns through the Rugby Championship.
Barrett was given a run at No.10 for the final Bledisloe Cup against the Wallabies, and held the role on the Northern Tour before injury gave McKenzie another run against then-world number one Ireland.
A man-of-the-match display from McKenzie led the All Blacks to a big win over Ireland in Dublin.
