Don't expect to see Richie Mo'unga wearing a black number 10 jersey anytime soon, judging by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen's comments at Monday's Rugby Championship squad announcement.
Hansen put a dampener on the deafening chorus of support for the standout Crusaders five-eighth, saying the selectors would be in "no rush" to remove incumbent Beauden Barrett.
"We've got a player who's been the world best the last two years, so we won’t be in any rush to shift him," Hansen told the assembled, referring to Barrett's consecutive nods as World Rugby's Player of the Year.
Hansen acknowledged Mo'unga's eye-catching form as arguably the catalyst for the Crusaders’ second-straight Super Rugby title win.
However, as the selectors have shown in the past, the value they place on experience can never be overlooked.
Hansen used the example of 2015's hotly-debated contest at 10 before the Rugby World Cup, when Barrett’s red-hot form had the general rugby public calling for him to usurp regular Dan Carter.
"Mo'unga's 24 years old and he's played one test match, and he's got competition from the specialist five-eighth in Barrett, who's played 64 and has been World Rugby Player of the Year twice.
"I think about a bloke prior to a World Cup we went to and everyone wanted us to drop Carter.
"But he had one ingredient that the other blokes didn't have and that was experience, and I think you saw that experience come out in the big moments in the tests."
And with Damian McKenzie's ability to cover several backline positions, Hansen agreed it would be difficult for Mo'unga to force his way into a spot onthe bench.
"McKenzie has that ability to play two positions when you want your five-eighth to be able to stay up front, which is where we want Barrett to play.
"Again, we've got versatility, so our job is to grow them and by the time we get to where we need to get to, both of them, I think, will be firing."
It's the kind of problem that the section team welcomes and Hansen suggested Mo'unga's time would come.
"They're both very good rugby players," Hansen said of Mo'unga and Barrett.
"Richie couldn't have done anything more than he did this year for the Crusaders. He's been outstanding.
"Our job is to maximise the talent they've got and over time, you’ll see Richie play more test matches, I'm sure.
"We have to build slowly with Richie and build his experience."
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