‘‘The debate about [Beauden] Barrett has never worried about the games where he is at his best. That is to miss the point entirely.’’

finishing. For my money Ben Smith was the standout player, sublimely perfect in everything he did. I also make the point that Barrett could have scored three of his four tries from any position in the backline.

Nick Evans touched on this positional versatility when he said, ‘‘It’s scary. If they can get to a point where it doesn’t matter who stands at first receiver, if they can all see the same picture and execute, I can’t see any team in the world getting close to them.’’

Ihave never argued that Barrett should not be in the team. I have always argued that he is the best fullback in the world, and that is quite a claim given the brilliance of Ben Smith. Still, given how the All Blacks currently set up, Barrett is playing probably over half of his rugby in that position any way.

But the oddest part of this hysteria is the sudden adoration of Barrett as a 10 based on 30 minutes of broken field rugby. The debate about Barrett has never worried about the games where he is at his best. That is to miss the point entirely.

The debate is how far the All Blacks sink when Barrett is having one of his not infrequent off days. His passing and decision-making are vulnerable when his time is reduced.

It remains a fact that Cruden never lost a match in the All Blacks jersey when he started at 10. He was, of course, assisted by Barrett’s immense performances as an impact player, something that Damian Mckenzie is now providing. It is not an easy role, as Johnny Sexton recently admitted after struggling to fulfil it in Ireland’s first test against Australia – and I suspect Mo’unga may also not be suited to it.

But for all the recent flam, questions remain over Barrett’s supremacy as a starting 10. He is no Dan Carter. In the last couple of years