Richie Mo'unga streaks away for an intercept try. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Richie Mo'unga streaks away for an intercept try. Photo / Jason Oxenham
ANALYSIS
Just as he did for the Crusaders all season, Richie Mo'unga dug deep into his bag of tricks to turn the first Bledisloe Cup test and push the All Blacks into an assailable position.
It was clunk, clunk, clunk for 50 minutes and then, with little warning the AllBlacks were suddenly in fifth gear, punching big holes when they ran from deep and monstering the Wallabies all over the field.
And the spark for this incredible transformation came from Mo'unga. That's been his special thing all year – finding a way to produce one brilliant moment that changes the shape and direction of the game.
Time and again he rescued the Crusaders with something brilliant, but this was the first time he's had that same effect at test level.
All Blacks first-five Richie Mo'unga offloads in the tackle. Photo / Photosport
His was not necessarily a commanding performance, but it was hugely effective and invaluable, not just because his goal-kicking and try pushed the All Blacks to a place of safety on the scoreboard, but for the way it inspired and transformed those around him.
This was a game that was going nowhere after 50 minutes and needed a hero to break it free from the tyranny of mediocrity.
Mo'unga was the sole beacon of light at times in a meandering, error-strewn test that had more penalties than it did successful passes and a stuttering fragility about it until the All Blacks No 10 flicked that magic switch and made everything flow and stick for long enough to get the victory over the line.
It was remarkable how the game changed after Mo'unga had hidden on the left touchline to turn arch poacher and pick off a poorly judged long pass intended for Jordan Petaia to canter 80 minutes to push the All Blacks to a 23-8 lead with half an hour left.
There was a sense of justice to that score as Mo'unga had actually provided what appeared to be the more telling act just a few minutes earlier when he had skipped out of a weak tackle inside his own 22 to launch a thrilling counter-attack that led to a try – which was rightfully chalked off due to a forward pass.
With a bit of comfort on the scoreboard and a sense of security beaming from their No 10, the All Blacks became a different team.
The forwards dropped a few inches in body height and the offloads were popping. The backs had space and time and the ball zipped around and more tries came.
It felt like the Wallabies were teetering - about to be broken wide open and some real pain inflicted in the last 10 minutes.
David Havili crossed the line - just - in an early second-half blitz for the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images
The fact that it didn't play out like that will be a source of concern for the All Blacks coaching group. The magic turned off as quickly as it was turned on and if the game had gone on for another five minutes, the Wallabies would have cruised home with the win.
They were able to claw back three scores and dominate the last 10 minutes, with the penalty count against the All Blacks reaching ridiculous levels.
These days it's hard to know whether they were failing to read the referee or genuinely guilty of constant ill-discipline around the tackled ball area – not rolling away or not staying onside – but either way, they need to fix it up ahead of next week.
The All Blacks can't afford to finish or start as badly as they did again.
Tom Banks scores late in the match for the Wallabies. Photo / Getty Images
The lack of flow and cohesion in the first half was on the alarming side. The All Blacks came into the first Bledisloe Cup test last year cold – without having had any kind of game behind them, which could serve as an excuse for their rustiness.
But this year they had the Pasifika Series, three games, two of which were solid workouts, to generate some kind of structure and basis from which they could work.
There was scant evidence of that, though in the first 50 minutes which bordered on being unwatchable.
Mo'unga saved them this week, but the All Blacks need to be more than a one-man show.
