Beau's Plan - What Carlos can bring to Beauden's game
The King has returned.
The Blues best ever first five has returned to his hometown franchise – the Levin-born playmaker will join the Hurricanes coaching staff as an assistant in 2019. There he will be in a position to work with and mentor the Hurricanes best ever 10, Beauden Barrett.
It is an intriguing partnership that can help Barrett’s game evolve and remain at a high level during his late twenties – he will be 27-years-old at the end of the month. It is inevitable that he will lose some of the speed that makes him the world’s most dangerous player over the next couple years.
The Hurricanes pivot hasn’t been playing at the superhuman level he reached during 2016 and 2017. His timing on the pass can be off at times. He’s running more but breaking the line, and tackles, less. His most valuable asset is still his innate ability to score against the run of play – he has a sixth sense for an opportunist try and seems to know where the ball will bounce. This special vision can change a game, even when things aren’t going to plan.
The mentorship of Carlos will hopefully round out Barrett’s game, to become more of a playmaker out of the hand with the pass, where he can manipulate defenders and put others away. If he can develop a supreme passing game while still at his peak physically, there’s will be no stopping him. If he can do it over the next few years, he could well be a force in Super Rugby well into his thirties.
Deep/flat
Barrett has become distribution-centric in the Hurricanes system, mapping phases across the field in methodical fashion. He has a set role within the 1-3-3-1 that usually involves providing a back door option for the first pod and then linking the second pod from first receiver.
His brilliance usually comes from counter attack and against the run of play, while simply facilitating ball movement during phases.
Often at first receiver he is so deep the team doesn’t make the gain line. There seems to be little care factor as to whether the midfield ruck makes a net loss. The Hurricanes rely more on the speed of the recycle to create space for the next phase. If they can generate a one-second ruck it allows Barrett to flatten up and ball play on the third phase with the rest of his backline
Although there is one reason for the deep set up – the kick-pass. This has become Barrett’s signature go-to for killing teams with exposed 15-metre channels. Being so deep keeps the kick-pass open at all times. Barrett can assess the line speed, hear the call or see the space wide and make the kick.
He may have one chance every three phases to play at the line, and that’s if they don’t release the backs on the swivel pass during the second phase or play any short sides switches off Perenara off the first. In all likelihood, it might be one in eight phases under the current gameplan where he has an opportunity to attack the line.
This can be expanded with small tweaks – using the swivel on the first phase more, becoming more diverse at first receiver allowing Barrett to pop up elsewhere or attaching a blind winger to Barrett’s hip at first receiver on the second phase.
There are times where it seems he just has to facilitate, giving him a range of options allows for more playmaking. With Carlos’s tutorship on some of the finer details of deceptive trickery and an increase of in the number of situations Beauden can deploy them, we could see him open up teams more from phase play.
Set Piece
However, the current role Barrett has during phase play works – he is able to facilitate the distribution of the ball and get it in the hands of the power backs like Laumape and Aso early. The number one area of the game set for playmaking growth in Barrett’s game is the set piece.
Currently playmaking duties from the set piece are shared with TJ Perenara, who offers another option for the Hurricanes. A number of the play designs often involved the halfback making the read on the run, with Barrett sweeping out the back. Along with TJ, Laumape also receives a high number of carries from the scrum to utilise his bulldozing power.
On the few times the play allows for Barrett to attack the line and have option runners, there hasn’t been much success. Often these plays result in a negative one – the ball on the ground or turnovers. This is a significant area of the game that Carlos will be able to provide help, not just Barrett but the whole Hurricanes backline. They have not been efficient at manipulating the defence to create gaps for their runners on strike plays.
Barrett’s playmaking is set to improve under Spencer’s guidance, and with his running game due to decline over the next few seasons, the addition could prove a masterstroke.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Skelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
6 Go to commentsGood riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
6 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
6 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
6 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
6 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
6 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
6 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
6 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to comments