Why All Blacks star Scott Barrett is about to go to new level for the Crusaders
By Patrick McKendry, NZ Herald
At 26 years old and with 36 test caps, new Crusaders captain Scott Barrett is about to take his game to the next level this season and beyond.
Well, he will if the man he is replacing – Sam Whitelock – is any guide. Whitelock’s leadership will be missed at the Crusaders during his season in Japan – not to mention his unique skills and grunt – but coach Scott Robertson has shown time and again over the past three years that he is capable of bringing the best out of his players and the captaincy should serve to help this with Barrett.
Whitelock will return to New Zealand for the July test series against Wales and Scotland and is in the running along with Chiefs loose forward Sam Cane to be the next All Blacks skipper. If he gets the job Barrett may well keep the captaincy of the Crusaders in order to lighten the load a little as happened with Richie McCaw and Kieran Read, both of whom relinquished the Crusaders captaincy when given what is seen as one of the most important jobs in the country.
Continue reading below…
Robertson appointed Whitelock as his captain when he took over in 2017 and the big lock, already a consistent performer for the red and blacks, thrived. He has always been known to have an excellent rugby brain but his natural ability to know when an opposing team was vulnerable and when to make a slightly more defensive decision probably surprised even his closest advisors.
Whitelock’s excellent decision-making, along with that of his significant helpers Read, Ryan Crotty and Matt Todd, all of whom have now departed, was a common thread running through the team’s incredible run of success over the past three years.
Barrett’s added responsibility should help an already consistent and highly-motivated individual raise his game in similar fashion, and, with Brodie Retallick away on sabbatical for the rest of the year, it could set him up for a standout year in the black jersey.
Barrett had a mixed year in 2019, with a finger injury keeping him out of the Super Rugby final and a red card against the Wallabies in Perth a big reason for one of the All Blacks’ worst ever Bledisloe Cup defeats.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B74MdUlAcZr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The gamble of playing him at blindside flanker against England in the World Cup semifinal backfired badly but all of those setbacks are likely to sharpen his focus as he helps his team in their attempt to win a remarkable four titles in a row.
Their mission starts today with a match in Nelson against the Waratahs.
Robertson said this week that most of his departed players had kept in touch with the team, including Whitelock, who was eager to be kept up to speed.
“They send messages and make sure everyone’s okay,” Robertson said. “Sam’s a good man, I wouldn’t call him a control freak but he likes to know what’s going on. Scooter has been outstanding – he’s slipped straight into the role.
“He’s a quiet leader, he’ll chip in where he needs to. We have a lot of voices. We have two vice-captains in David Havili and Codie Taylor who will be exceptional for him, they’ll give him a good balance. His leading will be in his performances on the field.”
Crusaders team to play the Waratahs at Nelson’s Trafalgar Park on Saturday, kick-off 7.05pm is: 15. David Havili, 14. Will Jordan, 13. Braydon Ennor, 12. Jack Goodhue, 11. Leicester Faingaanuku, 10. Richie Mo’unga, 9. Mitchell Drummond, 8. Whetukamokamo Douglas, 7. Tom Christie, 6. Tom Sanders, 5. Mitchell Dunshea, 4. Scott Barrett (c), 3. Oliver Jager, 2. Andrew Makalio, 1. George Bower.
Reserves: 16. Codie Taylor 17. Isi Tu’ungafasi 18. Michael Alaalatoa 19. Luke Romano 20. Cullen Grace 21. Bryn Hall 22. Brett Cameron 23. Sevu Reece.
Waratahs: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13. Lalakai Foketi, 12. Karmichael Hunt, 11. Alex Newsome, 10. Will Harrison, 9. Jake Gordon, 8. Jed Holloway, 7. Michael Hooper, 6. Lachlan Swinton, 5. Rob Simmons (c), 4. Tom Staniforth, 3. Tetera Faulkner, 2. Robert Abel, 1. Tom Robertson.
Reserves: 16. Damien Fitzpatrick, 17. Angus Bell, 18. Chris Talakai, 19. Ryan Mccauley, 20. Jack Dempsey, 21. Carlo Tizzano, 22. Mitch Short, 23. Jack Maddocks.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
A lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments