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'Hugely revitalising': Former All Black excited by Jordie Barrett's Leinster stint
By Henry Lee
While most All Blacks are hitting the beaches, on the boat fishing, and enjoying some quiet time before the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season kicks off, Jordie Barrett is in the midst of a United Rugby Championship season for Irish heavyweights Leinster.
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The 27-year-old has enjoyed some early success in his first few appearances for the side, scoring on his debut off the bench against Bristol.
Barrett, who will miss Super Rugby Pacific with the Hurricanes, will be available for Scott Robertson in July when France come to New Zealand.
Former All Black and current Sky Sports commentator Justin Marshall believes Barrett will gain valuable playing time and experience in Ireland.
“It’ll be hugely revitalising for him. He’ll be learning new skills, no doubt about it, defensively, he’ll be defending in a different way,” Marshall said on the DSPN Sports Podcast with Martin Devlin.
“He will be experiencing something he’s never had in his rugby career. He’ll be really refreshed by it.”
Barrett has lots of international talent and quality around him at Leinster. Tadhg Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park, Caelan Doris, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, RG Snyman, and Josh van der Flier are all part of a glittering squad.
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Marshall is confident Barrett will improve overseas.
“I think we will get a much better Jordie Barrett for it,” he said.
“The fact he’s putting a different jersey on in a different environment, in a different country, with a different crowd and teammates that he’s never played with before.
“There’ll be a different mindset in how they use their twelves over there. So he will get a massive opportunity to look at the game from a different perspective. I think that’s healthy.”
When players move overseas, there’s often a question mark regarding how they are going to fit back into the All Blacks system.
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Barrett is available for most of the All Blacks’ 2025 campaign, but having played a lot of rugby in 2024 and early this year, Marshall hopes his load will be managed.
“And then hopefully he gets to slide back into the New Zealand system, not feeling tired, but feeling really enthusiastic about what he can bring in terms of the development of this game like he could become a much better player for what he’s experiencing, and as long as he’s looked after, which I’m sure he will be.”
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Have to agree with this. Defensively Leinster are now the best club team in the world. Barrett is getting Nienabers system in full. He is also seeing the Irish attack. He will face the continents top teams. La Rochelle this weekend. The best of English rugby and most likely Leinster will face off against Toulouse at some point in the latter stages or the ERC. That is some whack of IP and new experience for a 6 months stint.
I attended the Leinster Connaught game. It was 13 players rested except for Snyman and Barrett. With Leinster on 14 men, only 5 ahead and with waves after wave of Connaught attack a try was looking inevitable, until Barrett read the play and sacked a Connaught player, Leinster winning a turnover within 2 phases. Leinster are getting their money's worth also.
He is also overruled Leinster's debate about corner v 3 points to finally take the points and put the game beyond Connaught's reach.
He was meant to be the next full back for the All Blacks and he would of been . But mounga made Beauden look like a bum so many times , he took his jersey . Forcing a re-shuffle …
To think we had laumpe with the speed and power . But they got rid of him just to make room for Jordie . Can’t think of one season I’ve seen Jordie play centre and said wow … 🤦♂️
Laumape was one that got away, for sure. I just can't see our current 10, 12, 13 axis winning RWC-27 and feel that Jordie probably has more to offer at 15 or on the bench covering 10-15 and allowing a 6/2 split.
I dont see it like you do sorry Marshall. He's had something like 9 different coaches just at domestic level in NZ plus a few Test coaches. All he will learn is to know some of the Ireland sides players better than when he started. Just making life-long friends around the world.