Blues vs Hurricanes takes: A clear number one, Beauden-ball hurting Blues

Isn’t Enari the real elephant? Roigard might be nervous!

Reuben wasn’t totally on song but man he is bringing some beautiful subtle touches and deception to his passing game atm not necessarily fancy but not showing and telling what his pass will be agree with Laidlaw needs to mix in just a tad more running I reckon

“Barrett’s kicking ability is world-class” well that’s an opinion that most people would disagree with, while BB does put in some good kicks he also puts in plenty of shockers as well.

They won't be winning a title with him at pivot, he does not create much and his passing game is predictable with the way he turns his body to the side he is passing to.

No one should believe that BB’s kicking game is world class. It’s not. He plays kick and hope and has done for many years now. His running game has long since left and his passing game is bang average. But the media fan club just keeping talking him up.

You know a quality player when they stand head and shoulders above most of their own team as well as the opposition in a losing side that just got smoked by the title favourites. That’s exactly what Anton Segner did last night. He showed his class on both sides of the ball from the first to last minute of the game in a losing effort against the wonderful Canes back row. Peter Lakai was the only other loose forward that could match him.

Not only did he do all the basics well, but he also put in the extra 1 percenters that most other loose forwards do not do, such as securing lineouts and kicking and chasing in that grubber kick late in the game well after his side was getting smashed.

If Segner doesn’t get in the All Blacks this year it would be a travesty.

As for BB, he’s been cooked for a long time and it’s great that the rugby media, journalists and punters are starting to notice it. DMac and Love should be the two number 10’s for the AB’s. Beauden’s time is over.

It shows how insipid and intimidated NZ rugby media is that Beauden Barrett can have once appalling game after another and its just treated as a form dip. In reality he hasn't any form at 10 at the top level of SRP, let alone test level, since 2022 at least, the year he got dumped, again, for Mo'unga.

Look at 27.06. His team is 14 nil down, half of which because of one of Barrett's asinine gross field kicks was charged down by Dearns, who scored off it. Wrampling has just made a massive bust. The ruck with a massive openside towards the right, the Hurricane's defence in shreds. There are an equal number of Blues and Hurricanes, but all the Hurricanes are bunched and forwards.

But instead of running and passing from 25m out against a shattered defence Barrett again makes it all about him and kicks for the wing again. This time into touch in goal. If Reihana, Kemara, Love, McKenzie or Perofeta had been in that situation the Blues would have run and passed and likely have scored. Barrett went for the 10% option and again threw away 7 points.

One thing more than any other destroyed Robertson. He kept picking Barrett at 10. The Blues have gone from a championship winning team to struggling to get to the semi's. I really hope Rennie ends the lie and dumps Barrett altogether.

“Barrett’s kicking ability is world-class…” Only in an alternative-reality world. It’s always been poor and he’s not going to get better now.

Ned Lester is a perfect example of the NZ Rugby media. Diabolical.

BB has never been a world class kicker nor a world class number 10.

How Rugby Pass can continue to pay him to write such drivel is beyond me

Quite frankly the Blues performance was a disgrace. This is NZs biggest city, biggest playing pool. The score versus the Crusaders last week flattered the Blues, the score last night confirmed how bad they actually are. This Canes side don't have the better players across the park. What they have is a superbly coached squad who play with a vision and sense of attack that is hard to match.

I think it is Cotter ball letting them down just as much as anything. It worked in 2024 but is too predictable now, and what is up with their defence? Why are they standing on their heels all night?

Bauden Barret was awful. The game flipped slightly when Perofeta came on.

Ruben Love was literally yards ahead in every facets of the game.

BB kicking world class when!!!? Never! Certainly wasn't when he missed touch at 12-0 up hot on attack against England at Twickenham last year. Find the corner we win that game, instead our “world class” kicker bungs it dead. Hopefully he keeps playing like this and the new ABs regime will finally put this once great player out to pasture.

BB kicking is not world class…it never was! His speed was world class but both speed and kicking are gone

He didn’t have his best game… that’s a massive understatement! BB keeps putting in this kind of performance: pretty mediocre displays, occasionally sprinkled with a good old-school vintage game (which then counts as a strong performance!).

But the reality is that ever since Beauden Barrett returned to the Blues, the team has been playing worse. Some people refuse to see it, but that’s simply the hard truth. This team played better in 2024 with Stephen Perofeta and Harry Plummer running the show.

I genuinely hope the end is near. We should respect the player he once was and celebrate his retirement properly, but at some point you can’t keep selecting players who passed their expiration date for top-level rugby a long time ago. Enough is enough!

On the other hand, Anton Segner delivered yet another very strong performance (and Wrampling) for amid the Blues’ overall mess. He’s earning points with every game.

It would also be great to keep Kini Naholo and Fehi Fineanganofo in the country. Just saying…

Ironic after all those years of the Blues chasing established 10s from other teams, they get their man in Barrett, who has been nothing but an anchor on performances across multiple seasons and no doubt a roadblock to other prospective 10s wanting to join the Blues. Call it hindsight and/or wishful thinking, but the Blues should've thrown the bank at Josh Jacomb when Harry Plummer left.