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All Black Richie Mo'unga's verdict on Wallabies star recruit Joseph Sua'ali'i
By Ben Smith
After spending time this week in camp with the New South Wales Blues ahead of the Origin decider at Suncorp, Richie Mo'unga was able to get up close with the Wallabies latest recruit Joseph Sua'ali'i.
The Waratahs-bound star was able to cross paths with the star All Black first five despite sitting on the sidelines after being banned for high shot on Reece Walsh in Origin I.
Sua'ali'i has remained with the Blues Origin team during the series in his last season in rugby league before his highly awaited switch after the Roosters season ends.
The rugby world could first see the Roosters star on the end of year tour this year with the Wallabies, while the British & Irish Lions are sure to see the towering 6'5 outside back when they tour in 12 months time.
Mo'unga has offered his verdict on what they should expect from the special athlete, claiming that he will "beat any defender one-on-one" in the 15-man code.
"There’s no doubt he’s an extremely gifted player," Mo’unga told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"He will beat any defender when it is one-on-one. He has that powerful running game, but also a deft touch in terms of his skill set and vision. I’m looking forward to seeing use that.
"There will be other parts of the game he’ll need to work on. He wouldn’t have hit a ruck in years, or kicked the ball that much, which you need to do in that centre and wing role.
"But he’s young, exciting, he has an appetite to learn – he’s some athlete.
"The sky is the limit for him in terms of union."
That's what Rugby Australia wants to hear after agreeing to a $5 million three-year contract with the former schoolboy union star.
The two may cross paths again in a Bledisloe series with Mo'unga expressing his desire to return to the All Blacks once his Toshiba deal expires.
The earliest that Mo'unga might be back playing in New Zealand is 2027, the final year of Sua'ali'i's contract and the Rugby World Cup year.
Sua'ali'i will no doubt be a different player by the time entering his third year of professional union.
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Whether World rugby gives teams .05 of a point for hammering a minnow or rounds it down to zero are both trivial in terms of the rankings. You don't get points for hammering minnows but in general you get points for beating opponents who are not relavent minnows. Your point is for anoraks, its irrelevant to this conversation.
I was replying to an idiot who maintained that Ireland benefitted from a biased ranking system. You seemed to be agreeing with this? Otherwise toss off you numbskull.
Go to commentsDon't like these questions trying to reignite a row.
Curry and Bongi know what happenned there.
Regardless of what was said the English media's reaction was f***ing outrageous.
Clearly most of the self righteousness was sour grapes for losing the semi. Dominating the pre final interviews with self important scores of questions re CurryGate and nothing on the rugby is unforgivable.
Solisi said that the English media is F**ked up.
It is all about England winning, no matter what the sport: and they will turn on everyone and anyone when that doesn't happen as it sells papers for him. In 2023 it was Bongi. The papers in question could honestly not give a flying f**k about racism. On the country they spend their time attacking minorities and non -whites.
So when the great SA captain says they are f***ed up. He is right on many levels.
Diego Maradona was the greatest soccer player to play the game. But his entire legacy in England the supposed 'home of rugby' was his handball against them. 40 years later at his death they were still going on about it. Gladly he was still taking the piss of them over it til the end!
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