Battle for the All Blacks' No.10 jersey isn't a straight shootout between Mo'unga and Barrett - Foster

All Blacks Coach Ian Foster says the battle for the All Blacks' No.10 jersey isn't a straight shootout between Richie Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett.

After starting one test each to start the All Blacks' 2021, Mo'unga appears to have asserted himself as Foster's go-to man at first-five, named to start Saturday's second test against Fiji in Hamilton.

The No.10 contest has dominated much of the talk around the All Blacks' selections to start 2021, with Foster appearing to have moved on from the maligned dual-playmaker strategy.

And with only one spot available for either Mo'unga or Barrett to take going into each test, Foster says that the 'battle' between the two is now more about growing depth in the All Blacks' first-five stocks.

Meanwhile, Sevu Reece and George Bower will once again start for the All Blacks while Hoskins Sotutu has been dropped for the second test match against the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians.

Ardie Savea, Akira Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown and Richie Mo’unga return to the starting line-up.

Savea and Ioane are expected to provide the All Blacks much needed guidance at the breakdown as Fiji dominated that area last weekend.

Dane Coles who scored four tries last weekend is on the bench.

Other players that will start for the All Blacks are Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Scott Barrett, Samuel Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Aaron Smith, David Havili, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie.

[Source: Newshub]