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Jordie Barrett's sideline conversion hands Hurricanes a two-point win

By Online Editors
Jordie Barrett and Beauden Barrett. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

One way or the other a Barrett had to decide the outcome. On this occasion, Jordie took the spoils.

With the scores level and time almost up, Jordie Barrett slotted a clutch sideline conversion as the Wellington crowd chanted his name to steal a 29-27 victory for the Hurricanes and trump older brother Beauden.

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Jordie had the chance to slot the match-winner after Asafo Aumua’s 76th minute lineout drive over try broke the deadlock – referee Ben O’Keeffe seeing enough of a grounding under a heap of bodies to rule on field try, and television match official James Doleman not seeing anything to overturn the original decision.

The cool strike was another telling moment in what is a turning point of a season for the younger Barrett, who continues to come of age at fullback for the Hurricanes.

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We spoke to the young Blue flanker after his impressive start to Super Rugby Aotearoa about what’s motivating his consistently outstanding performances.

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We spoke to the young Blue flanker after his impressive start to Super Rugby Aotearoa about what’s motivating his consistently outstanding performances.

While the Barretts were the focal point of a match that delivered eight tries and lived up to the hype, Ngani Laumape was the star performer. The Hurricanes second five-eighth sent the All Blacks selectors a clear message with his damaging carries and strong defensive efforts to complement his opening try.

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Beauden Barrett’s return to Wellington produced no shortage of storylines as he scored one superb try, had two Laumape nightmares and finished the match with a taped-up head. But it was his younger brother who had the final and deciding say.

The Blues stayed in the fight, while attempting to survive with minimal ball, but this loss significantly hurts their prospects. Two defeats on the bounce, after falling away in the final quarter in Christchurch last week, sees them drop to 3-2 and remain five points behind the Crusaders.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, continue their largely unheralded resurgence. After losing their first two games, including their opener at Eden Park, Jason Holland’s men have now recorded three victories in a row.

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The Blues lineout drive was the best part of their game. Successive strikes from Akira Ioane and Kurt Eklund midway through the second half turned a deficit into a five-point advantage for the Blues and until the closing stages it looked as though that would be enough.

The Hurricanes, though, found the necessary character to respond at the death.

Blues openside Dalton Papalii led anther committed defensive performance and he also snaffled crucial breakdown turnovers and his fourth try of the season.

But for all their obvious progress the Blues now face a mental test to rise for the remainder of the season.

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On his first trip to Wellington since leaving the Hurricanes, there was no keeping Beauden Barrett out of this match.

First Laumape stood Barrett up with a brilliant in and away to claim the opening try. Locals then let Barrett know their feelings about his deflection by booing his first touch.

In a classic rocks to diamonds moment Barrett responded with a show and go to burst between TJ Perenara and Tyrel Lomax and score the Blues first try untouched.

Not long after Laumape was at it again by steamrolling Barrett before being brought down just short.

You could not have asked for much more from a first half that delivered four tries and one other to Jordie Barrett that was rightly ruled out due to a forward pass.

The Hurricanes controlled much of the ball and territory and enjoyed a one-man advantage when rookie Blues wing Emoni Narawa was yellow-carded in the 13th minute for laying in the ruck on his own line after Laumape ran over Barrett.

As it was last week against the Highlanders, the Hurricanes finishing left a lot to be desired at times. They again created ample opportunities through the likes of hard-running centre Peter Umaga-Jensen but often squandered these with frustrating last pass options or errors in contact.

Credit must be given to the staunch Blues defence which managed to hold on and not concede a point while Narawa was in the bin.

Nothing separated these two foes as they went toe to toe throughout this match as the lead changed several times.

It seems only fitting, then, that they now sit with the same records.

If this game taught us anything it’s that outside the Crusaders, any side can trump the other on any given day.

Hurricanes 29 (Ngani Laumape, Reed Prinsep, Dane Coles, Asafo Aumua tries; Jordie Barrett 3 cons, pen)
Blues 27 (Beauden Barrett, Dalton Papalii, Akira Ioane, Kurt Eklund tries; Otere Black con, pen, Barrett con)
HT: 15-15

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J
Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

39 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

39 Go to comments
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