Sir Steve Hansen has explained why Beauden Barrett was vital in the All Blacks’ free-flowing Bledisloe Cup display against the Wallabies on Saturday.
The playmaker started both matches against their trans-Tasman rivals at full-back, shining as they came away with a couple of big victories, but he particularly impressed at Accor Stadium.
Barrett was quiet in the opening half at Eden Park but came to the fore after the break and took that momentum into the second clash in Sydney.
That is where the 35-year-old truly excelled as New Zealand claimed a 43-21 triumph over Australia, which secured a 2-0 series success.
His upturn in form comes after a difficult Super Rugby Pacific campaign and an underwhelming South Africa tour where he struggled against the URC franchises.
Why Beauden Barrett is so good
On the Rugby Unity podcast, Hansen and former Wallabies head coach Ewen McKenzie discussed his performance on Saturday after his struggles prior to the Bledisloe Cup.
“One of those tour games in South Africa he wasn’t great, he was playing at 10 well behind the advantage line, so he didn’t have the same flow when Love was playing there – the comparison, I could see where that was,” McKenzie said.
“The guy’s been around for a long time so he can pick his moments. That was a midweek game, probably not as exciting as the other 147 Tests he’s played, but you put him in the big moment and he comes to the fore.”
Hansen then chimed in and discussed how Barrett’s communication skills and rugby intelligence, something he states “you can’t buy”, were so crucial to the All Blacks’ performance at the weekend.
“He played really well the week before, but the thing you can’t underestimate this week is he marshalled those two boys (Timoci Tavatavanawai and Rieko Ioane) in midfield,” he said.
“If you just take the time to watch him for 10 or 15 minutes, he’s talking all the time. He’s helping the 10, the 12, the 13 make good decisions.
“When he needs to he will step up and take one or two passes from Roigard, just to take the pressure off the others.
“He was pretty close to getting another one too, he burst onto another one from inside his goal-line and he just dropped it onto his foot.”
Similar to ‘maligned’ Quade Cooper
McKenzie also realises the value of having players like that in your team after coaching Quade Cooper at both the Reds and Wallabies.
“He (Barrett) was interviewed after the game and he said exactly that; about communicating and working with the guys around him. He made the point that it was his role, so Steve’s spot on there and that’s clearly what he was doing,” he said.
“The good players do that. Quade Cooper, he’s maligned too, but he had the ability to be able to communicate to the Digby Ioanes and manage them on the field.
“He wasn’t only managing his own game, he’s managing other people by putting them in position, getting them into the game and giving them opportunities.”