Blues coach confirms Beauden Barrett needed ‘some stitches’ after injury scare
Blues coach Leon MacDonald confirmed that Beauden Barrett needed “some stitches” after leaving the field early in the second half against the Queensland Reds on Friday.
The All Blacks centurion has come under fire this season following some uncharacteristically poor performances for the Blues.
In fact, some rugby fans have questioned whether Barrett should even go to this year’s World Cup – a selection bombshell which appeared nigh on impossible 12 months ago.
But as Barrett has shown time and time again, the flyhalf is a world-class rugby player. The 31-year-old silenced some of his critics during a sensational first half against the Reds in Brisbane.
Barrett sent Cameron Suafoa through a big gap with a brilliant short ball midway through the first half, which ultimately set-up Zarn Sullivan’s try moments later.
Then, shortly after, the veteran playmaker showed grit and determination as he fought his way to the try line for a five-pointer of his own.
By half-time, the Blues held a slender lead over their trans-Tasman rivals, and Barrett was certainly in the conversation for best on ground honours at that stage of the contest.
But not long after the break, disaster struck.
Barrett limped off the field and disappeared down the tunnel at Suncorp Stadium. While the pivot was seen on the broadcast smiling later in the match, the extent of his injuries were still unknown.
Beauden Barrett has just gone off injured against the Reds.
With less than four months to go until this year’s Rugby World Cup, more than 5,000,000 New Zealanders hold their breath.#AllBlacks #SuperRugbyPacific #RugbyWorldCup @RugbyPass
— Finn Morton (@FinnMorton5) May 19, 2023
With this year’s World Cup less than four months away, the uncertainty of any injury was always going to create a sense of unease amongst rugby fans.
But Blues coach Leon MacDonald has downplayed the severity of the injury.
“Beauden came off with a gash to his heel,” MacDonald said post-game. “He’ll need some stitches in that.
“He couldn’t put his boot back on basically.”
Without Barrett, the Blues went on to record a comfortable 45-26 win over the home side in Brisbane.
Playmaker Harry Plummer stepped up in the All Blacks absence, and helped the team bounce back from their defeat to the Crusaders in round 12.
While the victory put the Blues into fourth on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder on Friday evening, the Hurricanes are vying for a spot in the top four.
The men from the capital sat one-point behind the Blues on the ladder in fifth ahead of their clash with the Chiefs, which sets up a blockbuster in Auckland next weekend.
“Next week’s game against the Hurricanes is obviously a big one,” he added. “We’ll be jostling for a position – someone will leapfrog someone else.
“That’s a big one at home. Then we’ve got one more game – a game at home against the Highlanders.
“(There’s) some big games in the next two rounds. There’ll be some positions up for grabs.
“Obviously we want to be playing at home, so it’s really important. Building on tonight’s performance we can take some confidence in both attack and defence.
“But our discipline needs to be better, there’s no doubt about that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
22 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
22 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
22 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
22 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to comments