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Nearly three years after the World Cup final in Paris, Richie Mo’unga is back in an All Blacks No.10 jersey. And next to him, or more accurately behind him, is Beauden Barrett at 15.
That immediately makes Tuesday night against the Lions more interesting than your average midweek tour game. The last time Mo’unga started at fly-half for New Zealand was the 2023 World Cup final against South Africa, with Barrett at fullback. Now the combination is back together at Ellis Park with New Zealand one win away from completing a clean sweep of the South African provincial sides.
The All Blacks have already beaten the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls. They have also taken the first Test against the Springboks 33-16. Four from four against the franchises would make this a pretty successful first half of the tour, but the bigger question is whether anyone playing on Tuesday can make Dave Rennie rethink his team for Cape Town on Saturday.
Mo’unga is obviously the name everyone will look at. There shouldn't be any expectation for him to immediately walk back into the Test side after almost three years away from international rugby. He has had very little time inside this All Blacks system and New Zealand have just beaten South Africa comfortably without him. But this is Richie Mo’unga.
At his best, he gives New Zealand control at 10 while still being a genuine running threat. Having Barrett behind him gives the All Blacks two experienced decision-makers who can swap roles depending on where the ball is. Barrett can come into first receiver, Mo’unga can play out the back and both can kick. It is a combination New Zealand know very well, and if Mo’unga looks sharp after three years away, the selection discussion ahead of Saturday becomes much more interesting.
Wallace Sititi has something to play for as well. He gets another start at six after featuring throughout the provincial leg of the tour. We already know how destructive he can be with ball in hand, but against South Africa the question is always whether a loose forward can survive the repeated collisions, defend accurately and still have an influence late in the game. Another big performance here and Rennie has another genuine option to consider.
Timoci Tavatavanawai gets his first All Blacks start at inside centre after coming off the bench earlier in the tour. He is exactly the sort of player you want to watch in a game like this. Tavatavanawai wants contact, beats defenders, gets through tackles and can give New Zealand a very direct midfield option alongside Rieko Ioane.
That midfield battle is one of the most interesting parts of the game because the Lions have Henco van Wyk back at 13. “Weapon X” is one of those players who doesn't need much to create something. Give him a little space, a defender on the wrong shoulder or a broken defensive line and he can turn nothing into a genuine attacking opportunity very quickly.
The Lions also have Quan Horn back at fullback after his involvement with the Springbok squad. Horn knows Ellis Park, is excellent under the high ball and gives the Lions another genuine counter-attacking threat from deep. With New Zealand likely to test the Lions kicking game, his decision-making at the back will be important.
Boan Venter adds Springbok experience from the bench, while Haashim Pead gives the Lions something completely different if he gets an opportunity later in the game. Pead's pace around the breakdown could be particularly interesting if the game starts to break apart in the final quarter.
That might be the Lions' best chance. Trying to simply overpower this New Zealand side for 80 minutes probably isn't enough. They need to make the game uncomfortable, attack when New Zealand's defensive shape isn't set and force the All Blacks to defend movement rather than just repeated carries. Henco van Wyk becomes important there. So does Horn.
The danger is what happens when New Zealand get turnover ball. Mo’unga, Barrett, Ioane, Tavatavanawai, Emoni Narawa and Fehi Fineanganofo gives them enough attacking talent to punish anything loose. If the Lions start forcing passes or kicking badly, they could quickly find themselves defending the entire width of Ellis Park.
New Zealand have also shown during this tour that these franchise games are not being treated as exhibitions. The Stormers, Sharks and Bulls have all been beaten, and now the Lions are the final provincial challenge.
Going four from four doesn't mean the All Blacks have conquered South African rugby. The franchise sides have been at different stages of preparation and several have been missing players. But there is still something impressive about taking a large touring squad across South Africa and winning every Tuesday and weekend along the way.
More importantly, it has given Rennie opportunities. Tuesday night is the last big one before Cape Town. Can Sititi force his way closer to the Test XV? Can Tavatavanawai make himself impossible to ignore? Does someone from the bench change the conversation?
And then there is Mo’unga.
Three years after Paris, he's back at 10 with Beauden Barrett at 15. If that combination immediately clicks again, Saturday's team selection suddenly becomes a lot more difficult.
