Ex-All Blacks on whether Beauden Barrett should be the starting first five

Beauden Barrett took to Eden Park with a vintage performance reminiscent of his days as back-to-back World Player of the Year in the All Blacks 24-17 win over England.

The “supersub” came on and changed the game with a dynamic showing in the final half hour, setting up the match-winning try to Mark Tele’a and bringing all of his experience to the table.

After such an impressive showing, the question has been asked whether Barrett should be starting and more specifically, back in the No 10 jersey where he played when he won his individual accolades.

Ex-All Black Sir John Kirwan wasn’t sold on Damian McKenzie’s complete performance at first five but was reluctant to move Beauden back into the role given what history has shown.

“He came on last night, there’s a couple of things to take into consideration,” Kirwan told Sky Sport’s The Breakdown.

“Impact players come off the bench, and opposition players are tired. And he was outstanding.

“This guy is world class, he’s done that in 2015, but let’s get back to the first five discussion. Beauden hasn’t played there for a few years, he’s been our fullback.

“It took Daniel Carter a loss in 2007, an injury in 2011, Mo’unga who has been amazing, it took him a couple of years to really take the team and go it’s mine, and we nearly won a World Cup.

“You can’t just go ‘that’s it’ after two Test matches. Does he [McKenzie] need to improve his kicking game? Yes he’ll know that. Does he need to use his voice a bit more? They’ll know that, I don’t know what it was like on the sideline.

“But if we are going to commit to someone for the next three years, you’ve got to stick with him.

“It’s the only position in the world I believe where you need to do that. Like the quarterback in the NFL, they’ve got to have complete trust. You feel when you are not trusted.

“His first two Test matches haven’t been what we’ve expected and that’s mainly around his kicking game.”

Former All Black wing Jeff Wilson defended McKenzie’s performance highlighting that the No 10 was involved in the big plays in the game.

Player Line Breaks

1

Mark Tele'a

3

2

Damian McKenzie

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3

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

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He sparked the first two line breaks in the first half where tries went begging for the All Blacks on the last pass, and he was the one who put Barrett through the gap on the defining try to Mark Tele’a.

“He’s played just seven Test matches as a starting No 10, so he hasn’t been given the keys to the car yet,” Wilson said of McKenzie.

“He’s been given the opportunity to control the All Blacks, last year when he got his opportunity he was very, very good.

“So I think we’ve got to understand he’s a special talent. I would do this, and I think Beauden Barrett will start at fullback.

“There were some critical plays in this game that Damian McKenzie did very well. He was that last pass there [on the second Tele’a try], the pass to Beauden Barrett to put him into a hole.

“To suggest he’s not ready to run this team… I think he is [ready]. He was doing it with an inexperienced fullback and a player who sat in behind Aaron Smith for a long time in Finlay Christie.

“He needs the benefit of time.”