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The time has come for Beauden Barrett to deliver the Blues what they wanted
The Blues’ major signing of All Black Beauden Barrett back in 2019 was made really for one reason, which was to end the title drought extending back to 2003 and resurrect the club to relevance again.
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While the Blues were able to break that championship drought in 2021 with a Trans-Tasman crown without Barrett, it was done without having to get past the Crusaders, the winners of five titles in the last five years.
Few could really say the Blues have proved to be best based on that Trans-Tasman title, particularly after two heavy defeats in the same year to the Super Rugby Aotearoa champions.
The Crusaders hurdle remains, which presents the next challenge for the Blues in their quest to truly get back to the top of the Super Rugby pile.
They have not beaten the Crusaders in this new era of Blues rugby under Leon Macdonald, losing five from five. They got close in 2019 with two tight losses in his first year as head coach.
In Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020, the two sides met in Christchurch for one of the most anticipated Kiwi derbies in years. The Blues were on a run and building something legitimate that many felt could topple the red and black machine.
When Rieko Ioane plowed through tackles from Will Jordan, David Havili, and Richie Mo’unga to score next to the posts and give the Blues a 15-9 lead with 25 minutes remaining, it felt like a power shift was really happening. The Crusaders don’t lose at home, let alone to the Blues.
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Otere Black’s conversion was charged down, costing the Blues a crucial two points, and Mo’unga sparked a comeback that saw the Crusaders storm home and win 26-15.
After that loss, the Blues have endured misery at the hands of the Crusaders getting thrashed twice last year 43-27 at home and 29-6 away, games that Barrett missed.
The structure of Barrett’s four-year deal meant that 2022 was really going to be the beginning of his time at the Blues, fully committed to the club.
He had an extended break in 2020 post the World Cup but joined up with the club unintentionally for Super Rugby Aotearoa after the pandemic changed everything. However, he was forced to slot in at fullback to make it work. His sabbatical clause allowed for a Japan stint in 2021 that saw him miss the entire season last year.
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That was all known back when he signed, and the Blues were prepared to accomodate and wait. Now the time has come for Barrett to deliver for the Blues what they bargained for, and he couldn’t have a better chance at doing so.
Otere Black has moved on, allowing Barrett to slot back in his preferred position at 10 to guide the Blues backline. He is going to have a generational talent in Roger Tuivasa-Sheck outside of him at 12, and another one two positions over in Rieko Ioane.
Caleb Clarke is back on one wing with a point to prove and Mark Telea on the other. Zarn Sullivan and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens will fight it out for time at fullback with Stephen Perofeta.
There is no shortage of firepower and playmakers for the Blues to build an attacking juggernaut around. The pack will miss Patrick Tuipulotu, but does comprise mostly of an All Black front row and loose forward trio.
Barrett himself has gone through the challenging middle trough of his career, going from superstar 10 to makeshift fullback all the way back to bench reserve for the All Blacks. In between, he became the villian by breaking up with the Hurricanes and endured the wrath of public opinion.
It feels like he is coming out on the other side now, just as the new hero Mo’unga starts his own chapter with challenges after failing to live up to expectations.
The tide started to turn in 2021 as a rejuvenated Barrett started a string of games at first five for the All Blacks while Mo’unga understandably stayed at home. The consequence of that is he may have just given back the All Black 10 jersey to his Blues’ rival, who showed again why he will go down as an All Black legend.
The 30-year-old was still producing big plays in his 100th test and when Mo’unga returned for the biggest games of this World Cup cycle, his performances fell flat and underwhelmed.
Barrett is entering what could be the final two years of his New Zealand playing career, with the World Cup in France his swan song. You’d never say never, but he is not contracted past 2023. With the end near, he may flourish as he puts everything into his final chapter at home.
That starts with getting the Blues to a place where they haven’t been in decades, and getting the monkey off the Blues’ back by beating the Crusaders.
Barrett himself has a score to settle, having lost two Super Rugby semi-finals in Christchurch in 2018 and 2019 as a key figure with the Hurricanes, including his last game in yellow as they fell short in a 30-26 thriller.
After playing as the All Blacks’ 10 for three years leading up to the 2019 World Cup, the plans were drastically altered and went off-script at the 11th hour. Now, he could become the preferred starting All Blacks 10 again in time for another go.
There will never be a better opportunity to make those things happen as the Blues’ 10 this year.
Comments on RugbyPass
I wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to comments