Boyd praises younger Barrett
"You'd have to say he's taken that opportunity really well." Chris Boyd on Jordie Barrett
It’s hard to know how good Jordie Barrett is.
A non-playing apprentice on last year’s All Blacks tour to the Northern Hemisphere, the youngster’s stocks have tended to rise as his big brother’s have.
Beauden Barrett has been sensational at times this Super Rugby season. Jordie has been good for the Hurricanes too, but it’s felt as if he’s been credited with the same level of ability or performance as Beauden on the basis they’re related.
Never mind that he’s 20 and in his first season at this level. He’s Beauden Barrett’s brother and went on last year’s trip, so he’s going to walk into the All Blacks this year too.
It would be a bit for anyone to take in.
‘‘It is but he, like Beauden, is an amazingly level-headed character,’’ Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd said.
‘‘He’s got a very mature head on his shoulders. he’s a great character around the environment and he’s making a good contribution and he just wants to play footy.’’
He’s done plenty of that. Nehe Milner-skudder’s injury woes along with the squad’s other fullback Peter Umaga-jensen - mean Barrett’s been a constant in the side. Along the way he’s inherited the goalkicking too and shown an impressive level of consistency for a youngster.
It’s not uncommon for young players to rise to bigger occasions for a week or three. But getting up game after game can be an issue and some burn out quite badly.
Boyd has taken tomorrow’s clash with the Cheetahs at Westpac Stadium as a chance to give Barrett his first spell of the campaign, although not because he’s suddenly hit the wall.
‘‘The whole family, actually, are particularly vigilant around the long game, rather than the short game,’’ said Boyd.
‘‘So we’ve been in discussion with Jordie over the whole year and probably, in a perfect world, he would’ve got a rest before now. But, obviously, with Nehe taking a ding early and Jordie getting an opportunity - and you’d have to say he’s taken that opportunity really well - he’s probably had more minutes than I would’ve liked him to have to date.’’
Beauden Barrett will play fullback for the Hurricanes this week with Otere Black in at first fiveeighth.
The Cheetahs can score points, averaging 31 in their three previous clashes with New Zealand teams this season, but concede them at a quick rate too.
On that basis, tomorrow’s match has the potential to be something of a track meet, compared to the Hurricanes’ dour struggle with the Crusaders a week ago.
The Hurricanes have spent a lot of time analysing where things went astray in Saturday’s 20-12 loss to the Crusaders, but none of those findings will be evident against the Cheetahs.
‘‘There’s patches we clearly need to be better in, but I think it’s very difficult to translate a performance from one side to another,’’ Boyd said.
‘‘So what we need to do to get our result this week, and what we needed to do last week, are different.’’