Beauden Barrett on the difference between All Blacks' 'golden era' and today

Beauden Barrett has weighed in on how much international rugby has evolved since the All Blacks‘ last all-conquering Rugby World Cup campaign in 2015, reminiscing on what he describes as a simpler time.

Barrett is one of two All Blacks remaining from the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad, widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, in the nation’s storied history.

Reflecting on the success of the 2015 team, 11 years later, with the All Blacks now sitting second in World Rugby’s remarkably competitive global rankings, Barrett says the game is in a different place, with twice as many teams in the race for top honours.

“I think we can look back with great fondness, pride, call it what you like; it was a golden era in terms of success,” Barrett told Martin Devlin in an interview on DSPN. ”

“But I also know how much the game has evolved and how much other teams, other countries have evolved, and the competitiveness and the standard of rugby played across the globe now is a lot (higher).

“In that 2015 World Cup, there might have been four teams that could have genuinely won it, whereas now, there’s anyone around that eight number that can tip anyone up on their day when it comes to knockout footy; and that’s what it comes down to is that four plus one, plus one, plus one. That’s what it is at a World Cup.”

Barrett said the changes had come in “varying degrees” and that the evolution of the game has come with more analysis and homework for the players.

“I think there’s a nice simplicity around the way we approached the game and played the game back then. The game seemed to flow a lot better.

“Yes, set-piece was very important, but these days, particularly with the onus on benches rolling on and finishing games, the influences of the officials, the TMOs, everything’s a lot more in the spotlight.

“A lot of the games have been decided on cards, or high shots, or foul play. It was a lot simpler back then; I even look at my books from back then, the detail, the content, the volume was far less compared to now. We do cover everything now; there’s a lot more that goes into it, ticking all of the boxes from an entire game point of view.

“But I just loved the simplicity of how it was played back then, it doesn’t mean we weren’t hitting as hard or trying as hard or weren’t as fit or as skilful, I just think the level acoss the board has improved and people use the term ‘they’ve caught up’, we’d like to think we’re still improving, it’s just how competitive it is. It’s the reality.”