The All Blacks have the best No.12 in the world and the next WPOY

It’s an inch-perfect anticipatory pass, tossed left-to-right a good 20 metres from on top of the defensive line; the ball sails directly over the head of Italian flyhalf Paolo Garbisi and lands perfectly in the path of Jordan.

It’s the kind of pass Barrett has been making all year for the Hurricanes, his long ball is the best in the business and it’s just one of the weapons at his disposal.

He threw it last week against France for the All Blacks‘ first try, again with Jordan the beneficiary, and reproduced another beauty for the right winger last night.

There is no midfielder, or any other player on the globe (perhaps Finn Russell), that can produce that pass on call and hit the mark with the frequency that Barrett does.

The younger Barrett is in the form of his life at 29-years-old and is quickly becoming the most valuable member of the All Blacks backline, taking his form from Super Rugby to the All Blacks.

Across the first two rounds of the Nations Championship, Barrett already has three try assists for the All Blacks, two against France and one more against Italy.

But when you dive down deeper in the 47-17 win over Italy, there are key involvements by Barrett in four of the seven tries scored by the All Blacks.

It was his left foot grubber kick that left Italy’s backfield scrambling in the first half, unable to secure the bouncing ball as Leroy Carter skilfully juggled the ball into his grasp. That first Will Jordan try was sparked by Barrett spotting the space and chancing a grubber.

The try to Ethan de Groot came from another Barrett kick, after a quick reaction slips catch from a blocked Italian kick, he returned serve for Josh Moorby to chase down.

On Will Jordan’s second try, it was Jordie Barrett circling back down the short side after play broke down. He provided the line break assist for Moorby to get free.

And then there was the cherry to Will Jordan, the cutout pass that he was credited the try assist for. That’s four tries that don’t happen without Jordie’s vision, skills, and decisions on the field.

More telling is that when he subbed off in the 57th minute, along with halfback Cam Roigard, the All Blacks’ attack struggled to create opportunities. They didn’t score a try again until the final play past the 80th minute, when Tupou Vaa’i crashed over from close range.

The two chief playmakers for the All Blacks are now Roigard and Jordie Barrett, and when they are not on the field the side’s potency is massively impacted. They must start every week and play big minutes in close games.

Italy’s No.12 Tomasso Menoncello is highly rated, considered in the top tier of midfielders. He showed his power game last night early, blowing through Billy Proctor in his well taken try.

Springbok No.12 Damian de Allende has been the lynchpin of the South African attack for years, but is a one-dimensional work horse. When the Boks want more spark, they play fullback Damian Willemse, who has a lethal running game, at No.12.

Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu has arguably the most dangerous feet of the bunch. Ireland’s Bundee Aki has passed the torch on to in-form Stuart McCloskey.

But none of them have the range of skills that Barrett has. And none of them are influencing games as much as Barrett is right now.

Barrett is producing big plays at the same rate as the best playmakers in the game, players like Antoine Dupont, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. You can’t name another Test midfielder who has been the chief orchestrator in four tries in a Test against tier one competition. This is above the ability of the other midfielders listed.

Since returning from his 2025 sabbatical with Leinster, where he won a URC championship, Barrett has taken his attacking game to another level. It led to another championship with the Hurricanes, ending a 10-year drought.

He’s now started the Nations Championship as the All Blacks’ most influential playmaker, along with Roigard.

The story of the night against Italy is Will Jordan breaking the all-time try record and Josh Moorby’s magnificent debut. But the underlying story should be how good Jordie Barrett is right now. Another big game against Ireland and he’s firmly in the race for World Player of the Year, along with his No.9.

He would become the seventh All Black to win the award, and it would be the 12th award given to a New Zealand player. He would become the first set of brothers to claim it, with Beauden Barrett already having two from 2016 and 2017.

No inside centre, or second-five eighth as it’s called in New Zealand, has ever won the award.

Matt Giteau was nominated in 2004, French legend Yannick Jauzion was nominated in 2007, Ma’a Nonu was nominated in 2011, Owen Farrell picked up two nominations across two seasons mixing between 10 and 12. But none won the award.

If Jordie Barrett and Cam Roigard continue this level of play, both will deserve nominations. We know Louis Bielle-Biarrey will be nominated, and the travesty is he may already have the gong.

After the career service award to Malcolm Marx in 2025 prevented Bielle-Biarrey from a deserved title, it might be another ‘make up’ title in 2026. Dupont got the award a year late in 2021, Ardie Savea in 2023 after a dominant 2022, and now Biele-Biarrey is on the waiting list for players owed an award.

Either way, Jordie Barrett is the best No.12 in the world right now and his play is transcending the position. That’s worth a WPOY nomination.