Black in business
All Blacks fullback Beauden Barrett was racked by illness just hours from Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup redemption mission and had to shake off debilitating stomach pains to put in an 80-minute effort.
Barrett played his part in an outstanding All Blacks response to their 47-26 mauling at the hands of the Wallabies a week earlier in Perth, though yesterday he explained perhaps why he wasn’t quite at the brilliant best we have been accustomed to seeing from him in recent years.
The two-time world player of the year has shifted back to the No 15 spot in a World Cup-year reshuffle designed to have dual playmakers on the field at the same time. It has been a work in progress but yielded its most significant output at Eden Park as the All Blacks crushed the Aussies 36-0, running in five quality tries in wet conditions.
Barrett had a strong tactical kicking game, launched the counter-attack that led to Aaron Smith’s first-half try and was active enough as he totalled 42 running metres from six carries.
The experienced utility back ended up playing the full 80 (including the final quarter at first-five when Richie Mo’unga left the field just ahead of the three-quarter mark with a shoulder injury) and admitted it had been a challenge.
‘‘I kicked the ball quite a bit and probably would have liked to run it a little bit more, but physically I wasn’t feeling well,’’ he said. ‘‘I had some terrible gut pains and some gastro issues.’’
Barrett confirmed the illness only came on a few hours before the game and had cleared up by yesterday. It did not stop him having a ‘‘few slurps’’ out of the Bledisloe Cup as the All Blacks enjoyed their bounceback victory to tuck the big trophy away for a 17th consecutive year.
‘‘Our intent was certainly there,’’ said Barrett of the All Blacks’ best performance of the year by some distance. ‘‘We looked after the ball which gave us more opportunity to play with ball in hand and sometimes kick and play what we see. We’ve been working on quite a few things and we put a lot of them out there.’’
Barrett said a command display by the forwards allowed the All Blacks to unleash a simple but effective wet-weather game that was crucial just a month out from the World Cup.
‘‘We knew the answers would be in the room and we found them. I wouldn’t say it was simple but what we saw out on the park came through simple rugby, just doing the basics right and having the right intent.’’