Groundhog day as Scotland go so close
For an agonising moment Beauden Barrett thought he’d given runaway Scot Stuart Hogg too much space and the brilliant fullback was about to gallop away for a history-making try.
Coach Steve Hansen, watching on in the stands, had a similar response: ‘‘I thought hopefully someone is going to tackle him. I didn’t have much time to think about anything else as he was running that quick.’’
But this is Barrett. World player of the year for 2016. A finalist again in 2017. The best instinctive footballer in the game. He got there with a cover tackle that spared the All Blacks blushes, and preserved their undefeated record against Scotland with a 22-17 victory at a raucous Murrayfield yesterday.
‘‘We knew it was coming, we knew they weren’t going to kick the ball away,’’ said Barrett afterwards of his test-clinching play. The game up, Hogg could only slip the ball forward.
‘‘We were aware of their attacking threats, particularly out wide in Hogg. He’s obviously a great attacking player. There was one point where I thought I’d given him too much on the outside and I was a bit worried. But I was relieved to see that outcome as it was.’’
Hogg was ‘‘hugely gutted’ he had come so close, yet so far from scoring or creating what would have been the most famous try in Scottish history.
‘‘I knew it was going to be tough, but I’ll always back my ability and try and get there. Credit to Barrett. It was a cracking tackle. I was gutted to chuck the ball away as well. On another day that comes off.
‘‘We were on the brink of something bloody special. The boys are devastated. We gave ourselves a good opportunity to score tries and probably left a couple out there.’’
Barrett said he had not been especially surprised by the strength of Scotland’s challenge, which exposed weaknesses in the All Blacks’ game.
‘‘They’re a quality side and we knew with five points in it they weren’t going to set up for a dropped goal. They did well, they threw the ball around and found space. They really tested us in a lot of areas.’’
Barrett said the test, in front of a sellout crowd of 67,000, had been ‘‘right up there’’ in terms of dramatic finishes during his career.
‘‘We’re used to being challenged in different ways. We’ve learnt that a lot this year,’’ he said. ‘‘It is great we find ways to come through and still win. That’s a sign of attitude and character and how hard we’re willing to work, even with 14 men at times.’’
The fabulous No 10, who scored a brilliant training-ground try when Sonny Bill Williams and Damian McKenzie combined to put him away directly off a scrum, said the Scotland challenge showed the north’s best were now breathing down their necks.
‘‘They’re really backing themselves to use the ball. We saw that in the Lions series with some really attacking backs, and tonight we saw it too. That’s great for the game of rugby, and it’s better to watch where teams are more unpredictable.’’
"There was one point where ... I was a bit worried."
"Credit to Barrett. It was a cracking tackle."