Barrett replaces Barrett as Hurricanes prepare for Brumbies showdown
As one Barrett comes in, another goes out for the Hurricanes this week.
Star playmaker Beauden Barrett is expected to return to Super Rugby action on Friday as he prepares to take on the Brumbies in Wellington, fresh after their shock 54-17 thumping of the Chiefs in Canberra last weekend.
His anticipated addition to the match day squad will offset the omission of younger brother Jordie, who is set to sit the match out as part of a mandatory All Blacks rest week.
The younger Barrett has played 160 of his 180 scheduled minutes inside the opening fortnight of Super Rugby, and so he will not train with the side again until next Monday.
Hurricanes assistant coach Jason Holland told Fairfax that Beauden – who wasn’t considered for selection in the Hurricanes’ dismal 38-22 defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday – is fully available for this week’s trans-Tasman encounter, which has lifted morale within the squad.
“Beaudy is in the conversation. He’s been gunning to play, so he’s ready to go,” Holland said.
“Beaudy brings leadership, he’s got experience and is a calm head. He’s bossed things already really well this week.
“Apart from the exciting things Beaudy can bring, we’ve got to do the simple things around him to give him the space to let him and the other boys have a bit of fun.
“Every time you get an experienced All Black back it’s a big lift to the boys and that’s what’s happened this week.”
Wider training squad member Chase Tiatia looms as a possible replacement for Jordie at fullback as James Marshall nurses a shoulder injury sustained against the Waratahs in round one.
One-test loose forward Gareth Evans is set to join Marshall in the medical ward with a calf strain, while big lock Sam Lousi is set to spend the rest of the season on the sidelines after sustaining a pectoral injury.
He’s set to be replaced by former Lions lock Andries Ferreira, who Holland confirmed was in talks with the club.
“We’ve got a season-ender [Lousi] and locks to replace,” Holland said.
“We’re talking to him, he’s talking to us, but nothing has been done yet. Both parties have shown a bit of interest.”
In more positive news, the Hurricanes are set to welcome back loose forwards Ardie Savea and Vaea Fifita from All Blacks rest and a hamstring injury, respectively.
They, alongside Beauden Barrett, should provide the Hurricanes with the wherewithal to bounce back from their thrashing at the hands of the Crusaders, which Holland described as “not acceptable”.
“We were disappointed with our performance. There were a lot of things, especially in that first half, which are things we can’t continue to do otherwise we won’t win games. Things around our discipline, things around turning over the ball.
“It didn’t really matter who that side was in the first half, if you give them the ball in those parts of the field, turn the ball over or give away stupid penalties, then we’re going to battle.
“It’s been a big learning for us and hopefully we don’t see those pictures again.
“In the second half we started to do things really well. We held onto the ball, we put teams under pressure.
“We know that if we play the Hurricanes game we’ll put teams under pressure.”
Tensions rise between Cheika and Super Rugby clubs:
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
28 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
28 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
28 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
28 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
28 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments