'Probably his biggest work-on': Foster's challenge to Barrett
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has called for more calmness from Jordie Barrett ahead of his second test start of the year against the Wallabies at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday.
Barrett was a surprise selection in the No 15 jersey when the All Blacks team for this weekend’s clash was named on Friday.
By being named, Barrett takes the fullback spot from the incumbent Damian McKenzie, who has been demoted to the bench as he covers for Beauden Barrett as the squad’s back-up first-five due to Richie Mo’unga’s family-enforced absence.
McKenzie has started four of the five All Blacks tests this year and was the favourite to start again this week, while Barrett has started just once, against Fiji in Dunedin in July.
Speaking to media shortly after the team announcement, Foster said McKenzie had impressed with his playmaking attributes, but added that Barrett warranted selection due to his training performances.
“I think, Jordie, he’s obviously a guy who’s been training hard, he’s been keen looking for an opportunity,” Foster said.
“We’ve been pretty happy with Damian at the back, in terms of the way he comes in and influences the first receiver role and some of his decision-making from behind, but Jordie, again, we know is a quality player.”
However, Foster said that while Barrett has an outstanding array of skills that make him an accomplished footballer, he encouraged the 24-year-old to follow McKenzie’s lead and provide a calm demeanour from the back on Sunday.
“We get asked a lot of questions, decision-making-wise, in attack and defence at 15, and I think that’s something that is probably his biggest work-on,” Foster said of Barrett.
“We know he’s a great individual athlete who can do some pretty special things, and it’s just about bringing that calmness at the back, and making sure that we have real clarity with the ball and without the ball.
“But, I’m really delighted with how he’s prepared. He’s going well. We’ve got a lot of faith in him, and there’s a nice little battle going there at fullback.”
That cool nature could prove vital to the All Blacks’ chances of success in Australia, where they have just a 50 percent winning record over the Wallabies in the last 10 years.
The last time these two teams squared off in Perth, the Wallabies recorded their biggest ever score against the All Blacks – what could be on the cards for Sunday? #AUSvNZL #AllBlacks #Wallabies pic.twitter.com/j0dgZA7TBx
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 3, 2021
Foster didn’t shy away from the fact that that record had been talked about frequently by the All Blacks in the lead-up to this test.
“It’s certainly mentioned. It’s been something that we haven’t been very good at, and I think if you look at the past 10 years, I think we’ve only clean swept them three times in 10 years,” he said.
“It’s an achievement that’s obviously a little bit harder than what everyone thinks it is because we haven’t done it that often.
“It has revealed that, subconsciously, we don’t really switch well from a Bledisloe Cup series to a Rugby Championship series because the reality is we’re just moving on from the Cup because that’s already done.
“We’re into a Rugby Championship here, and our first game over here is against Australia, and so we know the significance of it.
“So, the fact that it’s a challenge that we haven’t done a lot in the past is important to us and it’s certainly something we’d like to achieve, but we’re under no illusions that past results mean a lot when you go into test matches with Australia.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 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.
30 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.
30 Go to comments