Rugby: ‘That’s a bad man’: TJ Perenara’s praise for Richie Mo’unga’s ‘special’ performance at the All Blacks

Evading the accolades proved more difficult than eluding the Wallabies defenders for All Blacks playmaker Richie Mo’unga.

Nights like Mo’unga savored in Sydney are rare. For many players, they never come.

Whether it’s throwing precise cross kicks for Jordie Barrett and Dane Coles, shooting from the blind side and holding the ball with two hands to baffle defenders, grabbing Beauden Barrett’s chip, controlling the game tactically, or splitting verticals from the sideline. , Mo’unga couldn’t go wrong in his 23-point masterclass that left the Wallabies in shock at halftime.

Mo’unga has struggled at times in his 20 tryouts to assert the same authority he wields over the Crusaders, but in the 43-5 record win that closed the Bledisloe Cup, it all fell into place for the 26-year-old.

While much tougher tests and better defensive teams will come in time, this could be the game where Mo’unga begins to feel like he can call the All Blacks backline his own, particularly as his combination with Beauden Barrett continues to grow.

In attempting to deflect the accolades, Mo’unga attributed his performance to the clarity of the game plan – the simplicity of playing in the mid-Wallabies due to the wet weather and those tactics that suit his natural game.

“You have to be honest with yourself, you are happy, you are happy, you are proud of a performance like that and when you can do things like that it is very special, but you cannot take away what the whole group has done,” Mo’unga said. “Those individual things don’t come from the things you do for yourself, it’s always about the team.”

Others, however, were much more effusive in acknowledging Mo’unga’s touches.

“A lot of the time I was on the bench watching and some of the things Richie did were very special,” said All Blacks running back TJ Perenara. “He’s a humble guy and he knows it’s part of the job.

“I hope he goes out there and plays well and when he does that kind of thing I know it’s something he can do because I’ve seen him in Super Rugby, and I’ve seen him in training, but then we do it. Seeing him in the arena, no. you can avoid being like, ‘that’s a bad man.’ Some of the things he did there are things other people can’t do. “

All Blacks coach Ian Foster, the former Waikato first five eighths, was very pleased with Mo’unga’s management of the game and making options. The key point in this regard is that when Mo’unga made a decision it was decisive and, this time, he always triumphed.

“What I liked the most is that we haven’t been a great team in the wet in recent years and we have often tried to exaggerate,” said Foster. “We’re generally a handball team that likes to do things and attack and sometimes that can expose you in rainy conditions. I thought he played a very sensible game. He made some obvious decisions.

“We put a lot of pressure on the people around him to be really good communicators, like Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Beaudy and Aaron Smith, they all played an important role. When they do that, Richie is able to do what he is good at. and see things.

“He stepped back in a couple of intuitive moments and they came out, but he also put his foot on the ball when he needed it and had that kick control that has been a job for him.”