All Blacks have to do better — Barrett
Beauden Barrett says the All Blacks haven’t been seduced by the 42-19 scoreline when it comes to the quality of their performance against Ireland at Eden Park.
Operating on a stripped-back game plan and a high level of emotional energy, the All Blacks piled on the points against Ireland in the second quarter as the Irish lost their composure and structure after No 10 Johnny Sexton’s exit due to a head knock.
However, fresh off a review of the All Blacks’ performance, Barrett was quick to outline the breakdown, defence and attacking accuracy as key to getting a more complete display in Dunedin on Saturday.
‘‘We want to take our game to another level and we’ve already identified many areas to get better,’’ Barrett said yesterday.
‘‘And I think that’s encouraging, knowing that we’re playing down here [at Forsyth Barr Stadium].
‘‘Obviously, there were some missed opportunities out there on the weekend. And although it was our first go at it, we’d like to improve a lot.’’
The coming week in Dunedin will be vastly different to the preparation for the Eden Park test.
All the coaches bar scrum guru Greg Feek are back in camp and while Barrett praised the ‘‘trust’’ showed by head coach Ian Foster in his players last week, the men in charge will be keen to tidy up a few areas before the anticipated Irish response on Saturday.
In particular, Barrett said the All Blacks would need to cut down the time afforded to Sexton – if he clears his concussion protocols to take to the field.
‘‘That comes down to the breakdown and our defence,’’ Barrett said. ‘‘We’ve seen that there are areas we need to work on in our defence, putting them under more pressure and that’ll not give him the dinner suit that he likes to play in.
‘‘So, it’s on us to improve this weekend in that area. And there are also a lot of other areas that we’re looking to be better.’’
Barrett described his own contribution as ‘‘a reasonably good start’’, which is a tough mark given his beautifully disguised kick to set up Quinn Tupaea was a moment of artistry in a test match defined by big collisions.
‘‘I guess it’s a stake in the ground,’’ Barrett said. ‘‘And what I’ve learned from my own game was I missed a couple of opportunities in our phase, and a lot of it’s to do with their connections and seeing the same pictures and getting that alignment.’’
Barrett also confirmed that Crusaders trio David Havili, Jack Goodhue and Will Jordan were back in camp after their Covid-19-enforced absences last week.
Their returns could see tweaks to the match-day squad for Saturday, and both sides are likely to make subtle changes to their approaches.
Barrett hinted at the tactical game of cat-and-mouse that when asked about his role in the defensive line. The Blues star was positioned in the front line for large parts of the Eden Park test, but moved to the blindside wing from Irish lineouts close to the All Blacks’ line, with Leicester Fainga’anuku shifting to the No 10 channel.
‘‘Leicester enjoys defending in the front line on those lineouts,’’ Barrett said. ‘‘Look, I’m happy either way. At the Blues, we had our systems for certain reasons and we had wingers who enjoy defending up there too.
‘‘I was at the back more from a counter-attack point of view. But it’s just week one.
‘‘It’s early days and a lot of it comes down to personnel. And now that we’ve got [defence coach] Scott McLeod back in camp, things may change again.’’