Beauden Barrett's Blues debut will prove he is, far and away, the country's best first five-eighth
Beauden Barrett’s Blues debut can’t come soon enough.
Scheduled for June 14, against the Hurricanes of all people, it promises to be the rugby event of the season to date.
I’m not someone prone to favourites. In fact, I’ve worked hard to dislike all athletes, coaches, and administrators equally.
But some people are just so exciting, so gifted and so much better than their peers that you can’t help but love to watch them play. Beauden Barrett is that person for me.
Granted, I’m not a fan of his New Zealand Rugby (NZR) salary, nor his extended holidays.
The great and the good of world rugby rack their brains trying to work out how to engage better with their existing fans and attract new ones and the answer has always been simple; just put your best players on the park.
The notion of being paid not to play, as Barrett has this year, or to reward your highest-earners with a lucrative sabbatical, as Barrett has in his contract, is nonsense. And also a sure way to send NZR broke.
What makes more business sense is to put your best and brightest talents out on display.
Well, that day is almost at hand, with Barrett – in a nice marketing ploy – set to start for his new franchise against the old one.
Can’t wait for the likes of TJ Perenara and Dane Coles to wish Barrett a cheery welcome and then niggle him for the rest of the game.
New Zealand is blessed with many fine footballers and maybe even one or two great ones. But none is the box office talent that Barrett is and his return to action is exactly the boost Super Rugby Aotearoa needed.
It should also underline the fact Barrett is, far and away, this country’s best first five-eighth.
If I were King, he would start every All Blacks test from here until the end of his career. That doesn’t mean I’m blind to the charms of Richie Mo’unga, just that I believe Barrett is better.
I don’t want to hear about Aaron Cruden. He’s had his time – 50 tests worth in fact – and going back to him serves no purpose.
The All Blacks have a Rugby World Cup to win in three years’ time and the last one showed us how critical Barrett will be to that effort.
It’s a credit to his skill, and willingness to put-in for the team, that Barrett was able to excel from fullback. But putting he and Mo’unga on the park together never really worked and there’s no disgrace in now discarding that tactic.
Have Damian McKenzie at fullback, though, with Barrett calling the shots from 10 and the All Blacks would then have a dual playmaking threat that few, if any, teams would be able to combat.
But that’s all down the track. For now, it’s hard to see too much test rugby on the horizon.
What we do have to look forward to, though, is a bit of homegrown Super Rugby, starting with the Highlanders against the Chiefs on June 13.
As anticipated as that clash might be, by the time it rolls around, it’s not a patch on the game the next day.
Beauden Barrett playing against the Hurricanes is a truly mouth-watering prospect and one that should illustrate just what we missed while the first five-eighth had his early-season holiday.
Games are simply better for Barrett’s involvement and, such is the man’s skill and sense of occasion, that you just know he’ll put on a superb show come June 14.
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments