At a glance

Richie Mo’unga may have put forward yet another compelling case for inclusion, but so long as Beauden Barrett stays as the All Blacks first fiveeighth, he remains poised to break a world record.

Barrett hasn’t dotted down in his two outings since his four-try stunner in the Bledisloe Cup-retaining win over Australia at Eden Park in August, but when he does cross the line again it will draw him level with former team-mate Dan Carter for the most tries ever scored by a starting No 10.

Carter’s record sits at 24, from 94 tests started at first-five, while Barrett is on 23 from just 36 tests, boasting an unbelievable strike rate.

Overall, Carter notched 29 fivepointers in his 112 tests, having had six outings at second five-eighth and six appearances off the bench, while Barrett has 30 tries from 68 tests, which includes two starts at fullback and 30

couldn’t be himself playing alongside Woods. But no one can be themselves alongside Woods because he was taught as a toddler to destroy every other golfer on the planet.

The biggest points scorers on the US team were the 25-year-olds. The only successful captain’s pick was a 29-year-old, Tony Finau. Everything Furyk should have learned from two years ago was sacrificed on the altar of Tiger’s stardom and on his own friendship with Mickelson.

Europe’s captain Thomas Bjorn is not exempt from criticism either. Bjorn did the stardom fixation thing. He kept playing McIlroy when Paul Casey was clearly playing better and Henrik Stenson was straight and imperturbable. But Rory is a star so Bjorn threw the Danish kid under the games from the reserves.

Incidentally, Barrett’s six tries as a substitute is a joint world record in itself, equal with former Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell (17 tests), former Romanian prop Petrisor Toderasc (25 tests), former Australian hooker Jeremy Paul (38 tests) and Argentina halfback Tomas Cubelli (42 tests).

While a traditional game manager he is not, the numbers just illustrate how Barrett, 27, has been able to utilise his unique attributes to devastating effect in a remodelled version of the playmaking role.

Carter, remarkably, went 35 tests without a try to end his career. His final five-pointer in the black jersey came against Scotland at Murrayfield, in 2010.

Behind Carter and Barrett, the nextmost prolific No 10 is Stephen Larkham, who scored 20 tries from 84 tests for the Wallabies from 1998-2007, while the next highest current player trailing Barrett is another Australian in Bernard Foley (13 from 49).

bus after McIlroy failed to notch a birdie in the opening morning fourballs and re-paired Rory with his strongest men.

McIlroy was half carried to victory by Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia in his next two matches and Bjorn, very pleased with himself, said: ‘‘I never have any doubt in Rory McIlroy because if I start doubting him then I probably shouldn’t be doing this job. Great players when they don’t perform to the standards that they want to have an ability to just go and prove to themselves.’’

You could say Poulter put McIlroy right. But inevitably the burden grew too heavy. In defeat the following afternoon McIlroy lost a ball on the fourth, missed the green from the centre of the fairway on the fifth and Most test tries by a starting first five-eighth:

❚ Dan Carter, New Zealand, 2004-2015, 94 tests, 24 tries

❚ Beauden Barrett, New Zealand, 2014-2018, 36 tests, 23 tries

❚ Stephen Larkham, Australia, 1998-2007, 84 tests, 20 tries

❚ Carlos Spencer, New Zealand, 1997-2004, 30 tests, 14 tries

❚ Michael Lynagh, Australia, 1985-1995, 64 tests, 14 tries

❚ Ronan O’Gara, Ireland, 2000-2011, 87 tests, 14 tries

❚ Bernard Foley, Australia, 2014-2018, 49 tests, 13 tries

❚ Gregor Townsend, Scotland, 1994-2003, 51 tests, 12 tries

❚ Hugo Porta, Argentina, 1971-1990, 66 tests, 12 tries

❚ Arwel Thomas, Wales, 1996-2000, 19 tests, 11 tries

then smashed a putt metres past the hole on the sixth.

Bjorn, because great players ‘‘prove themselves’’, then led the singles with McIlroy who predictably lost. Meanwhile Stenson and Casey, who each only played three times, were ripping up the course.

With typical sporting revisionism Bjorn will be hailed a great captain. The truth is he made a couple of colossal blunders, but won for two big reasons. Furyk was an appalling captain and Bjorn had far the better team for a course that required straight hitting.

But for Hansen the lessons are there. Don’t get fixated with stardom and keep bringing in the kids. There is still a year to go before the World Cup.