'Very disrespectful': Beauden Barrett's frustrations after facing off with former side
While Beauden Barrett’s former Hurricanes cohort understood his decision to sign with the Blues ahead of the 2020 season, they weren’t going to let him off scot-free when they eventually went into battle as rivals instead of teammates.
In fact, it was in Barrett’s first match wearing Blues colours that he immediately had to go head-to-head with the likes of TJ Perenara, Ngani Laumape and Dane Coles, with the Hurricanes travelling up to Eden Park for last year’s opening weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The Blues eventually overcame the visitors, finishing up 30-20 winners on a sunny afternoon in Auckland, but it Coles who was able to get the first laugh of his former teammate, scoring an excellently taken try in the corner as he shrugged off a covering tackle from Barrett.
Coles quickly ran to Barrett and was joined by his fellow Hurricanes in celebrating the score – with the Blues first five surrounded on all sides as his former team mates jumped in glee.
Speaking on the James Marshall’s What a Lad podcast, Barrett reminisced about the match and the key moments in the game.
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“[Coles] scampered. I forgot how quick he was – and heavy,” Barrett said. “That [celebration] was such a cool moment. Yes, I wish I’d tackled him in the corner but it wasn’t meant to be. He scored a try on me and that celebration was pretty funny.
“I was a little bit rattled … Especially because the main man touching my head was [Scott] Scrafton, who was a Blue the previous year so quite ironic.”
With the game all but decided late in the piece, the back-and-forth between Coles and Barrett continued, with Sky Sports’ player cam catching a key moment between the pair.
With the Blues hot on attack, Coles put in a cheeky late shot on Barrett – and the first five chased the hooker down and gave him a friendly shove in the back, all the time sporting a huge grin on his face.
“It was funny. I love the banter with Colesy,” said Barrett.
“Honestly, he just wanted to really put a shot on me. When I say shot, a good old punch to the ribs or whatever. But he didn’t really get the opportunity to so this was his moment, I think it was in the 70th minute, it was quite late.
“I wanted to tackle him but I would have got penalised for it. There was never even nasty words, it was more just the anger was in his eyes – that point he gives you when he grits his teeth.”
Beauden Barrett has revealed the many factors behind his move from the Hurricanes to the Blues on the latest episode of @JimiMar's What a Lad podcast. #SuperRugbyTT #HURvRED #BLUvFORhttps://t.co/gfqlUMBYrb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 10, 2021
While Barrett expected a little bit of fire from his teammates, he admitted he was taken aback at the reaction of some of the Hurricanes fans when in the return fixture down in Wellington later in the 2020 season.
Barrett was booed whenever he touched the ball while his wife was verbally abused in the stands.
“At the time, I was gutted,” Barrett said of the match. “Like I never [thought] it would be easy to come back and play the Canes, play my teammates. But to hear it from fans, it was disappointing. I don’t like booing full stop. I appreciate when we play overseas and it’s quiet when kickers are kicking, they respect the kicker and so on. So yeah it was so disappointing to hear that.
“I understand they were gutted and, to be fair, they probably don’t know how to support someone or show dislike for someone in any other way other than booing so I took it for what it was afterwards, when I look back on it. But yeah it was disappointing when after the game, Han was quite upset. People were throwing stuff at her. That’s what really annoyed me. Very disrespectful.
“It wasn’t the homecoming I was hoping for but I understand that fans are passionate. They’re obviously gutted that I was wearing a blue jersey and to be fair, they were probably just booing the fact that I was in a blue jersey.”
After announcing his move to the Blues, Barrett revealed that his family was the main reason behind his shift north but speaking on the What a Lad podcast, Barrett explained the decision was down to a number of factors.
With the newly revealed rationale, perhaps Hurricanes fans will be more accommodating when Barrett next plays in Wellington.
Barrett has sat out this year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa and Trans-Tasman competitions, instead spending the season in Japan representing the Suntory Sungoliath.
Next year, he’ll again link up with the Blues – but he’s eligible to play for the All Blacks in the upcoming test matches and could feature in New Zealand’s capital in the third Bledisloe Cup fixture of the year, scheduled for August 28.
That game would mark Barrett’s first appearance for the All Blacks in Wellington since his move to the Blues after being a late scratching from last year’s opening clash of the season with Australia.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good 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.
19 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.
7 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.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
19 Go to comments