1
'Big news coming': Beauden Barrett returns to Blues training as Otere Black struck by injury ahead of final
All Blacks star Beauden Barrett has made a surprise return to Blues training as the Auckland-based franchise sweat over the fitness of first-five Otere Black.
ADVERTISEMENT
Barrett linked back up with his Blues teammates on Tuesday for the first time since returning to New Zealand from his sabbaitcal in Japan with Top League club Suntory Sungoliath.
It comes as Black was struck down by a training injury that required urgent medical attention on a lower leg issue and has left him in doubt to play in this weekend’s Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final against the Highlanders.
Despite Black’s injury concerns, which assistant coach Daniel Halangahu described as “cautionary”, it’s unlikely Barrett, who was seen wearing a reserves bib, will suit up to play for the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday.
The 30-year-old said when he announced his deal with Suntory Sungoliath that it was unlikely that he would play for the Blues at all this season.
With Harry Plummer and Stephen Perofeta both on hand to provide back-up if Black is unavailable, Barrett must be at long odds to play this weekend, but that didn’t stop Halangahu from suggesting the 88-test All Black could be involved this weekend.
“Harry Plummer is going really well, so is Stephen Perofeta, and there’s another guy around too … it’s great to have Beaudy [Barett] around. There are a lot of questions going around [about] his availability,” Halangahu told reporters on Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Just having Beauden around the group with his experience … there are a couple who have played in these Super Rugby finals, so it’s great to have Beauden’s experience and a few others in the group who have been there.”
When whether the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year would only be “around” the playing group this week, Halangahu said: “I don’t want to say too much. We’ll check on Otere, but at the moment having Beauden around is a good thing.”
Blues midfielder Rieko Ioane weighed in on the speculation as he joked to media that there is “big news coming” ahead of this Thursday’s team naming.
However, Highlanders first-five Mitch Hunt and assistant coach Riki Flutey refused to be drawn into speculating if Barrett will return for the Blues this weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
“That’s the first I’ve heard,” Hunt told media of Barrett’s unexpected return to the Blues’ Alexandra Park training base.
“Good on them for getting him out there. It’s the third time playing them this weekend and it’s 1-all. If he’s there, so be it.”
The Highlanders may be without two of their key players in this weekend’s Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final against the Blues in Auckland. #SuperRugbyTT #Highlanders https://t.co/2rrkHNtSrC
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 15, 2021
Flutey added: “Beauden Barrett, he’s a world-class player and he’s pretty refreshed, and he’s been carving up over in Japan, so that’ll add a bit of spark to their attack and how they play, if he gets the opportunity to play.”
Black isn’t the only injury concern for the Blues this weekend, as loose forward Tom Robinson are both doubtful to play in this weekend’s final due to a head injury sustained against the Western Force in Auckland last weekend.
Halangahu also confirmed All Blacks prop Ofa Tuungafasi was doubtful to feature this weekend after he sat out Tuesday’s training session as a result of a troublesome knee.
However, the franchise has received a boost as flanker Dalton Papalii has shaken off a hip complaint to take part fully in training.
The Highlanders also have their own injury concerns, as electric wing Jona Nareki and giant lock Pari Pari Parkinson are nursing shoulder injuries sustained in last weekend’s win over the Brumbies in Canberra.
Both the Blues and Highlanders will name their teams for the final on Thursday.
Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:
Comments on RugbyPass
I like to see the Crusaders lose as much as the next non-Crusaders fan, but the fact that most of their best players have not been available this year is being hand waved away like it shouldn’t effect them. It’s no coincidence that their first dominant performance came when they had more of their best players back. This is not rocket science. If they can stay fit their team at the business end of the season will include Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Quentin Strange, Ethan Blackadder and Cullen Grace in the forwards - most of whom have barely, or not played this year. That is an outstanding pack that have not played together this season. McLeod, Havili, Aumua, Reece, and Halfpenny will be a very different prospect behind their first choice pack as well. Having said all that Penney’s record is scratchy at best, but given the players that have left and their injury list I’m reserving judgement. Penney’s appointment, a bit like Foz, has a similar stench of the incumbent having too much say in his replacement. They are lacking a truly high quality and experienced 10 which will make it hard for them to go the whole way IMO, but the list of teams who would want to play them in the finals will be very short.
17 Go to commentsWhere’s this people's champion come from? Irish people yes….other people? Their arrogance has become breathtaking. Not tested? Oh dear.
163 Go to commentsIf a coach having Crusaders heritage is so sacrosanct, why did the Crusaders not pursue Vern Cotter as Scott Robertson’s replacement?
17 Go to commentsFinau is definitely operating on razor thin margins. He hasn’t done anything wrong… yet. But a player going into contact 6 inches lower than he is expecting, without him even knowing, will end in disaster. You can imagine a situation where the pass dies on Edmed and he has to bend down a little lower to catch it at the last second. Finau’s hit would have been catastrophic. The margins are just too fine. He needs to study how PSDT, at 6’7”, manages to drop his tackle height and exert just as much force with close zero danger of taking someone’s head off. Given how poorly NZ has adapted to lower their tackle height, and that this issue which has plagued the ABs for years and played a big part in them not winning the World Cup, I thought NZR and all SR coaches would be prioritising sorting this issue out. If I was Razor I would be on the phone to Clayton MacMillan and Samipeni Finau saying exactly that. Finau is a monster and shaping up to be the closest thing to Kaino since Kaino, but I wouldn’t risk selecting him for the ABs at the moment.
18 Go to commentsThe surprising stat I saw in the Blues game when showing Sotutu equaling the Blues forwards record was that Akira has not scored a try since 2019. Now my memory is pretty bad when it comes to those sorts of the things, I can remember his AB try though, but anyway I can’t see I can remember his last blues touchdown or any in recent years. Surely that still has to be a bogus stat. Maybe excludes SRA games?
3 Go to commentsDude to me looks pretty fast for a big man, nearly 2m and 130kg, in his workout vid he was signed off. Possibly a bit slow on his reads movement wise though, but I’ve not got anything to compare him to. Hope the dude nails it and finds his sport, could have been a devastating lock in rugby if he wasn’t a footballer growing up.
4 Go to commentsWell, does that make it every year Moana has lost it’s best player the following year? Normally it’s more immediate I guess, at least there best player had a follow up year this time.
1 Go to commentsFinally, an answer to Dan Carter.
1 Go to commentsNever read such tripe. He was hit just as he passed the ball which was reviewed and deemed legal by yes the Australian TMO and referee
18 Go to commentsTerrible idea…will be too hot, no one will travel, fan zones will be promised nice cold guinness and last minute will get water. Also how do you squeeze this into the already busy battle rhythm, Prem, summer series, 6 nations & world cup….if, and its a big IF you’re going to do this, do it in a rugby nation.
2 Go to commentsWell let’s hope world rugby doesn't read some of this nonsense, because next on the agenda will be…“players will only tackle other players deemed to be in their weight class, and only with moderate velocity”.
18 Go to commentsI was never allowed to adjust boots, or ever replaced, while I was playing and staying on the field. If I had issues, I had to go to the sideline and fix them myself. Then I would ask the ref to get back in. That would really make you deal with it FAST!
6 Go to commentsGreat point. It would be terrible to have a card for poor tackling cost the all blacks a world cup. Oh hi all blacks captain Sam Cane, how you going?
18 Go to commentsI like Andy’s critical approach to all hot issues especially when it comes to the rugby big “bosses”. However, sorry Andy, I don’t support your “we shouldn’t be questioning the integrity of Karl Dickson or any other official”. May I ask why? They do have a lot of responsibility, but they are people like us with all their sins and weaknesses. We have to respect their decision during the games, but why they became untouchable afterwards and people cannot even criticize them and the ones, who does express their concerns, got punished for publicly analyzing their mistakes and asking questions. If they believe they did right, there shouldn’t be a problem for any of the refs to answer these “questions” publicly. I don’t really remember such cases. However, I do remember how Craig Joubert shown his running skills in 2015 or Pascal Gauzere shined in Cardiff in 2021. I do believe that Rassie, as anybody else, had a full right to share his vision of Nic Berry’s performance the same year. I do not support the hate in any form especially in public one, but creating the cast of untouchable refs and rugby bosses is not for me. As for Karl, he had all means to question his appointment for the game and since I don’t now whether he did it, blaming just RFU wouldn’t be quite correct at this moment. I love the game of rugby and almost every time I watch it I don’t support any team, I just wanna see the good game and fair referring. Sorry, Karl. last Saturday you got my Craig Joubert”s award of the round. It is up to Karl to prove that I am wrong, not to Andy or RFU’s corporate bla-bla-bla. Something like that…
1 Go to commentswell remember the blues had a guy called jed rowlands for a season. remember scott took his coaching team with him give him time
17 Go to commentswell maybe he needs to be introduced to darcy swain then who never got anything much and put a cheifs ands allblack player out injured and made him miss a season recovering
18 Go to commentswell maybe the match offficals should sort it out if they are worried about it and stop the clock
6 Go to commentsI totally agree. I also believe that minor injuries unless dangerous must be treared OFF the field of play and the game continue with a temp replacement if necessary.
6 Go to commentsSend the bill to McLennan.
3 Go to comments2 out of 3 were perfect. TMOs love jumping in on anything outside the law. The fact they saw nothing wrong speaks volumes. You want to see what a late blindside hit looks like, watch Kepu take out Carter in the 2015 World Cup final. Completely different to the Tah’s tackle.
18 Go to comments