All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock praised the efforts of teammate Richie Mo'unga, who made his first start in the black jersey in this weekend's 46-24 win over Argentina in Nelson.
After a stellar Super Rugby season that saw him steer the Crusaders to a second straight title, Mo'unga got his first chance in the All Blacks' number 10 jersey on Saturday night, however struggled to impact play the same way he does at club level.
Speaking to media yesterday though, Whitelock urged patience in allowing Mo'unga to adapt to the level of Test rugby.
"Everyone wants to go out there and be the best player on the park," he began.
"I think with Rich, it was great. He backed himself, he wasn't afraid to tell us forwards what to do, and when to do it.
"It's great when your tens are like that. Richie's done that for the last couple of years with the Crusaders. Here in the All Blacks, we need him to do that again, and he really started that way. It was good to know he has the confidence to say what he wanted and drive the team round."
Whitelock also reflected on his own experiences at moving up to Test level, again asking for patience in allowing Mo'unga to adapt.
"For someone like Richie, being a number 10, driving the team around, within the first couple of Test matches - it's not an easy job.
"For myself, it took a wee while to open up and use my voice.
"It's something that's expected of the guys that've been asked to do a job here, they've got to step up straight away."
Following Saturday's win, the All Blacks now head to Wellington, where they'll face the Springboks this Saturday.
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