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Who should start at No 10 for the All Blacks against the Springboks?

· Samuel Sherry · 2026-08-13T06:15:42+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Richie Mo’unga’s return to the All Blacks has been confirmed, with the first five-eighths taking the injured Billy Proctor’s place on New Zealand’s tour of South Africa. The addition means that coach Dave Rennie now has five No 10s to choose from and, with the first test against the Springboksfast approaching, here’s a look at how each compare. Ruben Love Matches: 9 / Points: 60 The Hurricanes playmaker has been Rennie’s first-choice first five-eighths since taking charge and has been consistent with his goalkicking, slotting 15 of his shots at goal during the Nations Championship. But his ability to score tries might be one of the few things lacking in his game. He scored just three with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific last season, which is the same number he has put up for the All Blacks in his nine games with them. Richie Mo'unga last played for the All Blacks in their 2023 Rugby World Cup final loss to the Springboks. Photo / Photosport New Zealand Rugby rules prevented him from joining up with the initial squad in South Africa because he had not committed to a two-year contract, forcing him to play for Canterbury. He also has plenty of experience against the Springboks, including in his last test for the All Blacks, the 2023 World Cup final where he slotted two penalties, but was unable to convert a Beauden Barrett try. Beauden Barrett Matches: 146 / Points: 840 One of the All Blacks’ most experienced players has only made one appearance during Dave Rennie’s tenure so far, with a 68-minute stint against the Stormers where he converted three tries. Beauden Barrett has played just once for the All Blacks since Dave Rennie took over as coach. Photo / Photosport His 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign with the Blues didn’t live up to his usual expectations, scoring 81 points from one try, 32 conversions and four penalties. The 35-year-old was a key part of the team which won the 2015 World Cup and has been used at fullback and first five-eighth throughout his career. Having made his test debut in 2012, next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia could be the last time fans see Barrett pull on the black jersey. Damian McKenzie Matches: 78 / Points: 390 Like Ruben Love, McKenzie appears to be an important player for Rennie, having started at fullback for the three Nations Championship tests and against the Sharks. Damian McKenzie has mostly worn the No 15 jersey under Dave Rennie. Photo / Photosport Fans might have felt concerned during the Durban fixture that McKenzie could face a long stint on the sidelines after coming off before halftime with an ankle injury, but Rennie and assistant coach Jason Ryan were both confident he’d be suiting up for the side again soon. The 31-year-old’s 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign finished with a huge defeat to the Hurricanes in the grand final, but had a solid season otherwise, scoring 135 points overall, including five tries. Josh Jacomb scored two point in his only match for the All Blacks so far. Photo / Photosport In his 12-minute cameo, Jacomb was able to convert a Leroy Carter try, but failed to do the same for the five-pointers from Moorby and Aumua. Born in Auckland, he made his provincial debut for Taranaki in 2021 and then made his first appearance for the Chiefs in 2024, but will play for the Highlanders from 2027. His performances in the NPC have been stellar and he was the competition’s second-highest points scorer in 2025 and scored a total of 68 points during the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.