Steve Hansen has cut to the chase about his experimental naming of both Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett in the All Blacks’ starting line-up for Saturday's Springboks Test, saying he wants his best players out on the pitch.
Hansen’s team was announced this morning with Barrett at fullback and Mo’unga at first-five – a dual playmaker system like the one he implemented last year with Barrett at 10 and Damian McKenzie at the back.
But now it’s Barrett’s turn to don the No.15 jersey.
“Obviously, to replace Beauden at first-five you’ve got to have someone that’s pretty good,” Hansen told media today.
“Richie’s been playing very well for the last couple of years and at some point you want all your good players to be on the park and both of them are world class players.”
When asked if the combination was something the All Blacks have had in the wings for some time with the World Cup drawing near, Hansen was honest.
“[For] quite a while,” he replied.
“We’ve got a plan with a whole lot of things we want to do before we to the nitty-gritty business and we just felt Saturday’s game was the right time to try that particular part of the plan.”
The All Blacks play the Springboks on Saturday in Wellington in what will be the final Test before the two sides meet in their opening pool match at the World Cup.
Saturday’s contest kicks off at 7:30pm.
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