Leon MacDonald hints that talented 20-year-old could take Beauden Barrett's spot at the Blues
After a rejuvenation of sorts in 2020, the Blues will have to reinvent themselves again in the coming Super Rugby Aotearoa season, having lost star recruit Beauden Barrett to Japan for the year.
Since the 2003 title win, the Blues have managed just one finals appearance, despite boasting the largest catchment area in New Zealand. Much of their lack of success has been rightly or wrongly attributed to the side not possessing a world-class flyhalf and Barrett’s injection into the side late in 2020 coincided with a rich vein of form for the Aucklanders, with the Blues eventually finishing the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition in second place.
Of course, the Blues up-turn in fortunes actually began before Barrett joined the team, with Bay of Plenty pivot Otere Black running the cutter in the No 10 jersey. Barrett was utilised primarily at fullback for his new side, but his Japan sabbatical means coach Leon MacDonald will need to make some changes to the Blues backline regardless.
Before the 2020 season was interrupted due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Taranaki utility back Stephen Perofeta was utilised at No 15. Perofeta was invalided following the break, however, due to a broken leg – paving the way for Barrett’s inclusion.
Following a successful return during the Mitre 10 Cup, MacDonald could reinstate Perofeta at the back of the park – but the former Crusaders and All Blacks fullback has hinted that one of the Blues’ new recruits could be called upon to fill the void left by Barrett.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Conversation podcast, MacDonald explained why the Blues primarily utilised Barrett at fullback instead of in his preferred No 10 role.
“I think it worked because of a couple of things,” MacDonald said. “Beaudy was new to the team, Oats was the form player, Beaudy’s been playing a lot of fullback, Beaudy wasn’t goal-kicking at the time because … he was playing around with his kicking technique and it just took a bit of pressure off him.
“Because there was a lot of expectations and pressure on Beaudy anyway. So to step up into a new team, drive the game, [have the] pressure of the goal kicking on his shoulders, settling into a new city. It was a nice fit and the plan was always to move him forward in the second half of the season, which we ended up doing.”
That doesn’t mean the Blues will take a similar approach in 2020, however – opting for effectively a second pivot at the back.
“Whether we do that again depends on the circumstances. Obviously, it’s got to fit the team and the players. We’re lucky enough to have a really good pre-season period to see. We’ve got some young players that we’ve signed coming through, who’ve got a lot of potential. I’m pretty excited about some of our younger talent coming through – at fullback in particular.
“There’s going to be a good jostle for our 10 jersey as well with Oats being the incumbent and Harry Plummer driving Auckland really well this year. Stephen Perofeta, I thought, had a tough year with Taranaki but his personal form was outstanding. Yeah, it’ll depend on who puts their hand up in pre-season but we do have that option, definitely.”
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The Blues have made four key recruitments in the outside backs for the upcoming season, bringing in Jone Macilai-Tori, AJ Lam, 2019 New Zealand Schools representative Jacob Ratumaitavuk-Kneepkens and 2020 New Zealand U20 trialist Zarn Sullivan.
Sullivan spent most of last year’s provincial season camped at fullback for Auckland and impressed throughout the competition for the beaten finalists, despite being just 20-year-old.
While MacDonald didn’t rule out using Perofeta or Bay of Plenty’s Emoni Narawa at fullback, he also made it clear that the position was yet to be settled on – which presents Sullivan with a huge opportunity during the upcoming pre-season.
Later in the podcast, MacDonald identified Sullivan as the Blues’ young player to watch for the year ahead and joked that he’d locked the young fullback in on a 10-year contract.
The World Rugby Under 20s Championship was called off in 2020 due to the global pandemic but Sullivan trained with the wider squad and would have likely been a shoe-in for selection, had the tournament gone ahead.
Despite focussing on fullback for Auckland, Sullivan played at first-five for King’s College during their run to the Auckland 1A final. The prodigiously talented utility back was named in the outside backs in the Blues’ official squad announcement for 2021 but could just as easily pop up at first receiver.
The Blues’ season kicks off on February 27 against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments