Barrett has point to prove as Blues mount serious title bid
Rugby returns as Blues stack the deck for a demanding new test, writes Marc Hinton.
The Dan the Man show has been fun. But this week Beauden Barrett assumes a tantalising top billing as he gets set to make his hugely anticipated debut for the Blues in their Super Rugby Aotearoa opener on Sunday.
Yes, All Blacks legend Dan Carter’s shock decision to join the Blues as an injury replacement for the rejigged all-Kiwi league may have hogged the headlines in the penultimate week of preparations for the mate against mate competition that will have the rugby world’s attention.
But Barrett now assuredly becomes the lead storyline in a week dripping with interest and intrigue. It has been a long, long time since Barrett announced late in 2019 he was leaving his beloved Hurricanes to join the Blues in a seismic shakeup.
Since then a Rugby World Cup has been surrendered, the gifted playmaker has made a shift to fullback in the All Blacks squad, and he has slipped in a prolonged break, via an off-season sabbatical, and then the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.
Now, finally, Barrett officially becomes a Blue. Against his old team, and younger brother Jordie, no less. You cannot accuse those schedule-makers at New Zealand Rugby of lacking a sense of the dramatic.
For an age the knock on the under-achieving Blues has been that they lacked a world-class No 10 to run their show. Well, that is no longer the case, as the famine has turned to a comparative feast.
Carter, at 38, may be past his best, and still a few weeks away from being contact ready, but he provides intriguing depth, experience and backup options for a Blues outfit that could relish the chance to use the master fiveeighths in small doses.
They also have Otere Black who was playing fabulous rugby at No 10 before Covid-19 arrived to shut down the sporting world.
Blues coach Leon MacDonald will be strongly tempted to leave the former Barrett understudy at the Canes right where he is, and introduce his marquee signing at fullback on Sunday at Eden Park.
But wherever he plays, Barrett’s influence will be immense for the Blues. He is that sort of a player with that sort of a gift for the dramatic.
Where Carter’s addition is as much about one last lap of the
Kiwi track for the ageless wonder as it is about his ability to transform this beleaguered franchise, Barrett’s is very much the real deal.
At 29, and still playing outstanding rugby, Barrett has the ability to guide this promising group MacDonald has assembled – winners of five of seven before Covid struck – to another level. He has the class to transform the pretenders to contenders.
He is not without a bit to prove himself either.
Last year head coach Steve Hansen moved him to fullback in the All Blacks to accommodate Crusaders star Richie Mo’unga at No 10. It was a switch that did not please all in New Zealand rugby, and it will be interesting to see if new All Blacks coach Ian Foster follows a similar tack later in the year.
Some wondered if Barrett was as effective at fullback. He had some standout displays there, for sure. But ultimately the All Blacks bowed out in Japan with a disappointing semifinal showing.
Barrett will want to hit the ground running in 2020 and reestablish his reputation as the most gifted attacker in the Kiwi game. That is the sort of mentality he possesses.
He will know if he can take this Blues group to special places it will be a feather in his cap on the leadership front. If he can inspire them to finally shake off their decade of folly and achieve something special in this historic 2020 season, then he will very much have underlined his value.
Barrett is well used to pressure. His response has the potential to be the most compelling storyline of this special competition. Eden Park looks like the place to be next Sunday.