Gregor Paul: The truth about the Richie Mo'unga v Beauden Barrett debate

Richie Mo'unga (left) of the Crusaders and Beauden Barrett of the Blues chat following the round 5 Super Rugby Aotearoa match. Photo / Getty Images

Richie Mo'unga will play first five-eighth. And there it is, the great dilemma about the All Blacks No 10 jersey solved.

This whole business of whether to hand the primary playmaking role to Mo'unga or Beauden Barrett has never been any kind of Riddle of the Sphinx.

It requires little in the way of agonising and deliberating.

The answer has been Mo'unga and that much has been obvious arguably since late 2018, but definitely since mid 2019 and beyond dispute this year.

Those who are confused are so because they misunderstand the challenge ahead of the All Blacks selectors.

Their job is to not determine which of the two is the better No 10, but to work out how to use the respective talents of both men in a way that is best for the team. These are not the same questions and potentially wouldn't deliver the same answers.

Best for the team is Mo'unga at No 10 and as much as that's because he brings almost unflappable decision-making and composure to the role, it's also because Barrett has the curious distinction of being in possession of a skill-set that fits, almost exactly, what the All Blacks are looking for at fullback.

So much is made of the 'dual play-making' strategy but it's massively overdone. It's not even a strategy really, more a case of picking players with the right skills for the respective jobs.

Test football, for the last few years, probably longer, has demanded that the All Blacks need a fullback who is primarily a kick-catch player, a decision-maker, a strategist and ideally, a runner.

Blues Beauden Barrett during the Hurricanes-Blues Super Rugby Aotearoa match at Sky Stadium on July 18, 2020. Photo / Photosport

The backfield is a land of opportunity and threat in equal measure. It needs a steady presence there, someone like Barrett who is imperious under the high ball and capable of turning static defensive situations into dynamic attacking scenarios.

It needs someone like Barrett who can see the field and is able to kick into space or run there and the way the All Blacks attack and the rest of the world defends, New Zealand's fullback has to be prepared to play in the frontline and make himself a first receiver.

The need for that playmaking dimension became obvious mid-way through 2018 when the All Blacks looked more threatening on attack when Mo'unga came off the bench to play at first five, with Barrett shifting to fullback.

The coaching team didn't become fixed on personnel at that stage – but they did commit to starting games with two No 10s on the field.

That was the key to their attacking game thriving and became a non-negotiable.

When Damian McKenzie was ruled out of action early last year, the only way they could fulfil their strategic need was to shift Barrett to fullback.

He played so brilliantly that he was effectively hoisted by his own petard into staying at fullback.

While Barrett finished 2019 as the best fullback in the world, there is an argument to say this year, he hasn't even been the best fullback in his family.

The rise and rise of younger brother Jordie has been one of the best Super Rugby stories of the year but as well as he's played and as much as he's matured, he's not going to start for the All Blacks ahead of Beauden.

No one surely needs to be told that test football is a different beast entirely to Super Rugby and experience and class conquer all and the older Barrett is hands down the winner when it comes to track record.

Beauden Barrett. Photo / Photosport

Besides, the All Blacks don't need to make a choice between the siblings as Jordie has shown he can play just as effectively on the wing and hence coach Ian Foster can stack his back three with two Barretts and Rieko Ioane.

It's important to state that Mo'unga isn't going to play No 10 purely by a process of reverse engineering that says Barrett has to play fullback.

He brings more than enough to the role to make it a genuinely debatable subject as to the other question of whether he's actually a better No 10 than Barrett.

Both are supremely good No 10s, probably one and two in the world and there is no real point of difference to easily identify which way round they sit on that pecking order.

If there is a platform on which to promote Mo'unga, it is his seemingly greater composure under pressure. He tends to see the game a bit more clearly when the defence is in his face, while there is also a tangible assessment to be made that his passing is that bit crisper and more accurate.

Ultimately, though, it's the intangible quality of seemingly having more time on the ball that will push Mo'unga into the No 10 jersey and Barrett to fullback.

That won't be proof that Mo'unga is considered the better first five – it will simply confirm that's what Foster and his selectors think is best for the team.