Carter: Barrett in a class of his own

Former All Black Rugby World Cupwinning first five eighth Dan Carter has offered his thoughts on the current crop of international flyhalves Beauden Barrett, Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrellin a column penned for The Times.

Since Carter retired from international rugby after the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Barrett, Sexton, and Farrell have been regarded as the best 10’s in the world.

Barrett won back-to-back World Rugby Player of the Year awards before Sexton took home the award in 2018 while Farrell led England to back-to-back Six Nations crowns before Sexton’s Ireland completed a Grand Slam.

“Beauden is the kind of player, whether at first five eighth or fullback, who has the X factor to change a game with one play. He has lightning speed and can do freakish things that are beyond Johnny and Owen,” Carter wrote for The Times.

Carter says each has their own strengths, but he felt Sexton and Farrell were more adept at organising the troops around them in as a game manager. He said Barrett’s game management has come under the microscope recently.

“Beauden has had to grow into that role over the past couple of years. It is not as natural for him as for the other two,” Carter said.

“In tight World Cup matches, your game management needs to be world-class and there have been questions over Beauden,” he said.

“He may have had the odd bad game kicking-wise, but you just have to look at his career. He is accurate and professional so there are no doubts at all, come the big occasion, that he will step up,” Carter said.

“He is a class player with a cool head, who reads the game well, and there are no worries there. He will learn from his setbacks – like against the Lions when he missed some kicks. The closest thing to a World Cup is a Lions series in terms of being able to perform under pressure, so if he is in a similar situation I am confident that he will have learnt a lot.”