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What seperates Barrett and Jordan as fullbacks for All Blacks
By Ned Lester
New Zealand is blessed with plenty of depth in the backfield, but rarely do you get as high-profile of a selection battle as Will Jordan vs Beauden Barrett.
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Barrett is no stranger to battling for a starting jersey, as he did for so many seasons with Jordan’s former Crusaders teammate Richie Mo’unga and the black 10 jersey.
While the desire to play first receiver is still very much alive for Barrett, who clarified at the start of the year that is his preferred position, Damian McKenzie’s form and youth has demanded selection over the more experienced Barrett.
However, the playmaking skillset of one of New Zealand’s most iconic No. 10s and back-to-back World Rugby Player of the Year is hard to turn down, even with the X-factor of the try-scoring phenom that is Will Jordan.
“I do think Beuady at fullback is someone who can tactically kick, contestable kick and probably looks at that kick first and then looks to inject himself into that running game once they’re in that phase play shape,” former All Blacks James Parsons analysed on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Whereas I think Will’s a run-first sort of guy. Not saying he doesn’t;t have the ability to kick, but I definitely think from what we’ve seen of him he’s a run-first guy. And then, in that phase play I think he’s always looking for that chip out the back, we’ve seen that when Beaudy’s played at 10, that beautiful chip that led to one of his tries against Australia.
“He is all-out attack. If we look at what we have seen early on (from the All Blacks), they are all-out attack, and the Crusaders coaching group that had Will is very similar to what we have now in the All Blacks.
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“So, I think there’s that relationship and that trust if he does start.”
Acting as his own devil’s advocate, Parsons then offered a counter-argument to Jordan’s selection based on the opinion of a former Wallaby.
“I was listening to an interview with Rob Kafer and they were talking about the Wallabies, but he spoke about the Marshall, Mertens, McDonald at the Crusaders. The Gregan, Larkham, Joe Roth relationship at the Brumbies, and he goes ‘I just don’t understand why rugby’s gone away from building these solid combinations through Super Rugby teams into the international rugby that allows them that success.
“And that’s the only thing that challenged my thinking around this. Initially, I was like they have to give Will a crack, he’s definitely part of their plans, he’s definitely, probably who they wanted at fullback.
“But, then you’re like, well, what impact does that have on Damian? We really need that combination, that nine-ten – we’ve got disruptions at nine – Damian’s solid, Beaudy’s done really well, do we fiddle with that?”
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I hope we fiddle, nows the time.