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The rekindled Richie Mo’unga-Beauden Barrett conundrum, seemingly destined to dominate the All Blacks’ selection discussions, will dissipate in the near future. and not for reasons of widespread mastery.

The missing piece of this debate
What has sometimes alarmed the enthusiastic rugby public is its imminent expiry date, which threatens to reveal the soft underbelly of New Zealand’s unproven depth in the top five-eighths.

Debating the merits of the All Blacks’ top five is a long-standing national pastime. Mo’unga and Barrett is just the latest installment. Their duel has evolved from rivals to starting teammates, and will be friendly rivals this season when Barrett switches to guard during the much-touted dual playmaker experiment.

Mo’unga is expected to start his home game against the Cougars in Christchurch this weekend, the first Test in six years. Despite his stellar performance in the victory at Ellis Park, Mo’unga couldn’t have been better when he injected depth, width and direction into the kicker to ignite the All Blacks’ attack to taste his first Test start of the year. Guaranteed to keep No. 10 until Barrett gets hit in practice on Tuesday.

Mo’unga now appears to have regained the upper hand – but Ian Foster has been backing Barrett’s uncertainty over the All Blacks’ near-term future from No. 10.

While the nature of Barrett’s injury remains unclear at this stage, if, as suspected, he suffers another head blow, he is considering a full summer after a severe head clash in last November’s loss to Ireland. Concerns will resurface after considering retirement after lingering concussion symptoms.

The wider context, which is rarely taken into account in the Mo’unga-Barrett debate, is that it appears to have a short shelf life and that neither backline executive is under contract after next year’s World Cup.

in a revealing interview Herald In June, Mo’unga made his intentions clear, outlining his desire to spend a year or even two years in Japan starting in 2024.

Barrett will turn 32 next year. While it’s possible he’ll continue for another three years after the World Cup, his history of concussions will be a factor and, like Mo’unga, he’ll be weighing the right time to cash in abroad in the aftermath of his limited career.

It is then possible, then, for Mo’unga and Barrett to leave the New Zealand rugby team after next year’s World Cup – leaving 14 months of debate for their respective starting announcements.

Losing both Mo’unga and Barrett would be a big blow for the All Blacks and Super Rugby. Despite all the differences, all the deep-seated favoritism, New Zealand once again has a depth that other countries can only dream of.

The Wallabies are in the midst of a top-five crisis after recalling Bernard Foley after a three-year absence. Without Handre Pollard, the Springboks are lost. Even the Irish are unconvinced of their succession plan beyond Jonathan Sexton.

After the World Cup, the All Blacks’ most pressing issue is depth beyond Muga and Barrett. Stephen Perofeta is second as he stands, but has yet to make his Test debut before he could come off the bench this weekend.

The time and space to touch the ball on the Test pitch is so tight that it is the only surefire way for the 25-year-old, who recently re-signed with the Blues until 2024, to develop his game.

Damian McKenzie is another option to fill a possible void. Like Barrett and Perofetta, McKenzie has shuffled between the top five and the linebacker throughout his career. He returned from a season in Japan in June, finishing 10th in the Waikato and urging the NPC to recall the All Blacks.

McKenzie, 27, has also only committed to 2023, leaving his post-World Cup future unclear. In two of his 40 Tests, he was a top-five finisher, so he hasn’t proven to be an elite-level coordinator.

Behind the scenes, New Zealand rugby signings must be increasingly concerned about the prospect of Muga, Barrett and McKenzie all leaving after the World Cup. In terms of eligibility criteria, no one can be selected from abroad.

This worrisome situation would make Perofeta the de facto option — and a lot of competitors fighting to rapidly develop their cases.

At this stage, New Zealand’s next top quintile is either over or not ready.

Josh Yoan failed to feature in his only Test against Tonga from the bench ahead of the 2019 World Cup.

Brett Cameron may come again. The 25-year-old struggled to live up to expectations for his Shock Test debut three years ago, but has bounced back from next year with the Hurricanes between a season in Japan after a move from Canterbury to Manawatu. Team signed.

Bryn Gatland of the Chiefs and North Harbour is an excellent kicker, but his attacking abilities are too limited for the next level.

Hurricanes playmaker Ruben Love, 21, presents the most talented future prospect, but at this point, questions remain about whether his striking offensive talent is best suited to the top five or the guard.

The weakness of such an unconfirmed top five suggests that while the Mo’unga-Barrett debate will certainly continue into the World Cup, it may be worth stopping to appreciate their presence before they leave.

australian rugby laughs

Not content with concessions aimed at guaranteeing their teams a prominence in the bloated eight-team Super Rugby final format, Australian rugby is now pushing for the adoption of the draft system as part of the game’s long-term future. The US sports draft is a popular TV show, so it’s no surprise that Sky is interested, but it’s hard to see the value of New Zealand Rugby’s backing of the Rebels and Force.

Joshua reality check

Anthony Joshua lost his temper after his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk last weekend when he threw the heavyweight belt to the floor, claiming to be the more skilled boxer Hand stole the microphone and the limelight, apparently an example of the mask slipping off. Joshua has every right to be disappointed and to express his emotions openly, but his capricious behavior and lack of grace in failures reveal so much about his true character and the team around him that has been nourishing his ego, and who he is. The idea of ​​the greatest gift to heavyweight boxing. There is no doubt that Joshua is an impressive athlete. His sharp decline, however, reflects a fantasy that gradually surpassed all realism. The reality is that he’s not in the same league as Tyson Fury or Usyk, now it’s clear to everyone.

Betting Tips

Record: 10/24 (-$18)

Last time The Sauce gave the Springboks a -4.5 lead at Ellis Park, of course, that didn’t happen. The week before, I backed the Boks to a 1-12 win at Mbombela, as the All Blacks suffered their biggest defeat in South Africa in 94 years. This is the worrisome nature of sports betting. This week I’ll go head-to-head with Auckland (vs Otago) and Canterbury (Tasman) for $2.