‘We believe in Beauden’
Hurricanes stand by underfire Barrett
Maybe Beauden Barrett has spoiled people.
Maybe the first five-eighth has played so well, so often that folk can’t help but line up to criticise him when performances fall short of the exceptionally high standard he’s set for himself.
Be it with the Hurricanes or the All Blacks, when those teams lose Barrett is inevitably held up as the culprit.
The Hurricanes’ Super Rugby season ended in disappointing fashion, with the team hardly firing a shot after the June test window and then being summarily dispatched in the semifinals by the Crusaders.
Barrett’s game management and apparent interest levels came in for scrutiny then, before things cranked up again when New Zealand lost 36-34 to South Africa in Wellington on Saturday.
Barrett didn’t have his best game, then backed that up by converting just two of his six attempts off the tee and opting not to go for a potentially matchwinning dropped goal at the end.
The droppie had been called, only for the players to think better of it when a three-on-two overlap presented itself.
Never mind Barrett’s 30-point haul in his previous outing, against Australia, as the All Blacks romped to a 40-12 win. He’s not up to being a test-match No 10, according to some.
Not surprisingly, that isn’t a view shared by his Super Rugby employer.
‘‘I’ve got a lot of time for him as a person. He’s incredibly committed to every team he plays for and he’s very proud of being from the Naki, being a Hurricane and being an All Black,’’ Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee said.
‘‘Everyone knows he had an off-night on Saturday, but we also know how capable he is and how
consistent he has been and I’d never question his commitment. He trains as hard as anybody, he’s a great thinker and he’s a good person.
‘‘We all watched the game and it was a tough night for Beaudy. But he’s got a great attitude too, so he will have been hurting on Saturday night, but he’s also got a
really good balance in his life with his family and his partner and his interests.’’
For someone who has been World Rugby player of the year two seasons running, it’s remarkable how Barrett has fashioned a reputation as unreliable and disinterested, particularly at Super level. If the Hurricanes haven’t quite reached the heights of 2016’s title win in the last two seasons, it’s not because Barrett has been more focused on the All Blacks.
‘‘I’ve got total faith in him, to be honest. But that’s the world we live in. If you’re a public figure that sort of comes with the territory,’’ said Lee.
‘‘You get a lot of plaudits when things go well but, as soon as they don’t, it’s pretty tough.
‘‘My personal opinion is the All Blacks came up against an outstanding Springboks team. They were committed, they were ferocious and they put the All Blacks under pressure. Beaudy missed a couple of kicks but, if you look at the whole game, they were just better than us.’’
‘‘I’ve got a lot of time for him as a person. He’s incredibly committed to every team he plays for.’’ Hurricanes boss Avan Lee on Beauden Barrett