All Blacks centre duo Jordie Barrett and Timoci Tavatavanawai in action.
Jordie Barrett admitted that it was “just as well” he asked for a scan after pulling out of last weekend’s Bledisloe Cup clash through injury.
The superstar centre was a late withdrawal for the encounter against the Wallabies with Timoci Tavatavanawai coming in as his replacement.
It was stated that Barrett had suffered a tight calf but he would have played had he not asked for it to be checked out properly.
The 29-year-old sustained an issue in the All Blacks’ victory at Eden Park and played the majority of the match before being replaced late on.
He reckoned it was a minor issue but asked for a scan for his “peace of mind” and it proved to be the correct decision.
Aiming for Nations Championship return
“I thought I got a haematoma in the first five or 10 minutes in Auckland and treated it as that all week but asked doc for a scan for peace of mind on Friday and it’s just as well I didn’t go on, there’s a bit of damage there,” he told the KOKO show.
“I will try to come right for the northern tour.
“It was nice, the silver lining is that other guys get an opportunity and it’s good to see Timoci out there having a crack.”
Barrett’s absence opened the door for powerhouse centre Tavatavanawai, who was making his first Test appearance for over a year.
The Highlander made his international debut during the All Blacks‘ three-Test series against France in 2025, but he failed to break the 23 for the next 15 months.
However, with Barrett suffering a calf problem, he was handed his chance to lay down a marker.
“He was good. He’s such a good athlete, powerful, great over the ball and that time in the jersey is invaluable for him going forward,” was Barrett’s verdict on Tavatavanawai’s performance against Australia.
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Contrast in Barrett and Tavatavanawai
While both are physical with excellent skill sets, they are very different players, which means there is potentially an impact on how the team operates.
“Our attacking system doesn’t change, but you’ve just got to try and find ways of getting him into the game, and that might be a scrum strike or it might be a variation within our phase where you’re trying to get him a bit more direct up the field,” Barrett added.
“I think he was blowing, but that’s the system; work hard on both sides of the ball. Walking in the sheds [after the game], the guys were out on their feet.
“It’s a challenging way to play but when you get it right it works.”