The difference Billy Proctor sees in Jordie Barrett after Leinster sabbatical

Jordie Barrett is back in black after a title-winning season abroad at URC powerhouse Leinster, and he has returned to the Shaky Isles ready to apply what he learned in Europe.

Barrett has been named to slide straight back in at inside centre for the All Blacks in their July Series opener against France in Dunedin, and he’ll have a new running mate – although a familiar one – alongside him.

Barrett’s Hurricanes midfield partner, Billy Proctor, has earned his first All Blacks appearance on New Zealand soil, having claimed his first two international caps last season in San Diego and Tokyo, respectively.

Proctor will rejoin Barrett as he continues his ascension through the ranks and looks to stake his claim on the No. 13 jersey moving forward.

“It’s nice to have a familiar face around me,” Proctor told reporters at the All Blacks team naming announcement on Thursday. “I’ve been training with him (Barrett) on Tuesday and remembering his tendencies, and getting used to him.

“It’s coming back pretty quickly as I’ve played a bit of footy with him.”

Fixture

Internationals

New Zealand

31 - 27

Full-time

France

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The 26-year-old Wellingtonian now has 70 Hurricanes caps under his belt, with the vast majority of those caps since 2022 – this season withstanding – coming alongside the youngest of the All Blacks’ Barrett trio.

It was in 2022 that Jordie made his shift from fullback to the centres, usurping David Havili at the international level when the opportunity presented itself. Meanwhile, Proctor was off winning an NPC title with Wellington.

The pair have taken vastly different routes, but have established themselves at the Hurricanes on a similar timeline and can now bring that relationship to the international arena.

With the pair having shared so much time together at club level, Proctor was as well-placed as anyone to answer when reporters asked if there’s anything different about Barrett since returning from Dublin.

“Do I see a change in him? A little bit. You see, Leinster’s line speed is pretty intense, so he’s willing to bring that down here. So, just getting used to that, and no doubt we’ll be on the same page come Saturday.”

In 2024, the All Blacks kicked off the season with some resilient defensive showings, even if they did face criticism for some passive moments. Throughout the July series against England and Fiji, they conceded no more than 17 points in a single game and won all three contests.

However, The Rugby Championship was a different kettle of fish. The team set an unfortunate record for the most points New Zealand has ever conceded in a TRC campaign.

Whether Barrett’s new and improved knack for linespeed can help steer the Kiwis into better results is a question that will begin to be answered on Saturday, when an inexperienced France outfit gets the ball in their hands.

Proctor and Barrett have won the race for first honours in 2025, but with six midfielders demanding selection in the squad, they know the pressure they are under.

“I guess there’s a responsibility to go out there and perform, considering how many midfielders there are and getting the first crack at it. There’s definitely a responsibility to do it justice.

“But, you’ve got support from the rest of our midfielders. They’ve been doing everything to help us and set Jordie and I, and Quinn up to get the job done. We feel that from them.”

For Proctor, a season in the All Blacks environment has set him up well to make the most of the opportunity in the No.13 jersey. He told the media that his biggest learning from his rookie season was “probably just how diligent we can be in our preparation.”

“Small things count in international footy, and I think we do a good job of that as a team. So just going over all of our roles and being clear on our plan going into the weekend.”