Leadership sits easy with Barrett
‘‘I know I’m a bit of an ideas man and I’d like to think I’d be a natural leader.’’
Scott Barrett had much to ponder when he wasn’t reeling in kingfish and snapper during his numerous fishing excursions in the off-season.
The disappointment of the All Blacks’ unsuccessful World Cup campaign lingered. And, on a brighter note, the 26-year-old had his somewhat surprising appointment as Crusaders captain to process.
‘‘It was pretty overwhelming at the start,’’ the 26-year-old lock told Stuff.
Barrett hasn’t captained a rugby side since he was playing at under13 level in Taranaki, and wasn’t among those utilised as a vicecaptain under Sam Whitelock’s captaincy last season.
Knowing Whitelock was going to skip the 2020 season so he could take a playing sabbatical in Japan, head coach Scott Robertson approached Barrett shortly after the team finished celebrating a third consecutive title last July.
‘‘At the end-of-year breakup, he said in passing, ‘do you want to be captain next year?’ I thought he was joking at the time, but he sort of planted the seed there.’’
It was on the flight home from Japan, where the All Blacks finished third at the World Cup, when Robertson took advantage of being on the same flight to again line up Barrett and make it clear his previous approach was no joke.
‘‘It sunk in then. Like all the decisions I make, I took some time to process it,’’ Barrett said.
‘‘Certainly some great players of the game have captained this team. It’s an exciting challenge for me, it’s a new challenge heading into a new year, and I guess a new era as well.’’
When Barrett’s captaincy was confirmed last November, Robertson said he was a natural fit to captain the side, given he was well respected by his team-mates, the coaching group, and his ‘‘great’’ character helped drive team culture.
Having played under Kieran Read’s and Whitelock’s leadership at the Christchurch-based franchise, Barrett, who has amassed 69 caps for the Crusaders since 2014, took note of their respective styles.
He plans to utilise what he learnt, but is eager to put his own spin on the leadership of the most successful team in competition history.
That starts with playing well, leading by the front and influencing team-mates to follow his lead. Then there’s not getting bogged down by the extra duties that go with the job, he said.
‘‘I’d say with my personality possibly, I know I’m a bit of an ideas man and I’d like to think I’d be a natural leader. I guess when you get thrown into the Crusaders and the All Blacks’ environment, you’re not going to be chucked straight into being captain there. It’s an exciting time for me.’’
Barrett, who was red carded for ramming his shoulder into the neck of Wallabies captain Michael Hooper in the All Blacks’ 47-26 defeat in Perth last August, is well aware leading from the front means improving his discipline.
Awarded the Crusaders player of the year last year, the second-rower also went through a patch in Super Rugby when he was heavily penalised.
‘‘I guess I’ve just got to iron out a few of my bad habits. I’m not going to change the way I play, I’m by no means a finished product, so I’m continuing to improve in those areas of the game around the breakdown and tackle technique,’’ he told Stuff.
Scott Barrett
New Crusaders captain
‘‘Particularly around that red card, it was pretty disappointing last year, and a big learning point for me around discipline and how crucial it can be.’’
Barrett spent the majority of the off-season in and around Christchurch, using the time off to mentally and physically recharge ahead of his sixth full season of Super Rugby.
In addition to fishing, he had four weddings to attend during the break, including those of Crusaders team-mates Richie Mo’unga and Tom Sanders, and All Blacks teammate Sam Cane.
Now, into the final year of his contract with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the Crusaders, Barrett is preparing to put the franchise on his shoulders as the 10-times champions kick off a new era, one without franchise greats Whitelock, Read, Matt Todd, Ryan Crotty and Owen Franks.
‘‘There’s a great group of men around me who have been here the last three or more years who have played plenty of rugby with the likes of Sam [Whitelock] and Kieran [Read], so they are equally keen to carry this group forward into a new decade, a new era,’’ Barrett said.
As for how long Barrett will be around this decade, he indicated he wants to remain a Crusader, and his comments regarding the All Blacks’ World Cup failure make it clear he’s got unfinished business in the black jersey.
‘‘The expectations of yourself and what the team has, and then the added pressure of the country and what the All Blacks are about, it [Japan] is disappointing but there comes a time where you need to use that, pop that in the drawer for later on when hopefully you get another crack and can possibly use it for motivation.
‘‘I’ve left [my contract situation] in the hands of my agent to talk with [NZR] . . . I’d like to be around for the next few years.’’