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'He isn't playing well': Former All Blacks question Scott Barrett's form
By Henry Lee
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson will be busy preparing his selections for the home series against France starting in early July.
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One thing he won’t want to worry about is whether his captain, Scott Barrett, is playing at a high enough level to warrant a starting place in the All Blacks.
Barrett has now played 80 Tests for the All Blacks and was named the captain in 2024 by Robertson. Considering Barrett is the incumbent All Blacks captain, he will likely be selected if available, but multiple former All Blacks have criticised his form, with some having differing opinions about how he is playing.
Sky Sports commentator and analyst Jeff Wilson said that he’s starting to get nervous regarding the form of the All Blacks captain.
“I’m not sure where Scott Barrett’s form is as a player, I’m a little bit concerned,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“He didn’t go to Fiji, he’s the All Black captain and I know what he’s capable of as a player. He’s been slow to start this year, I’m not saying he’s not going to be in the All Blacks.
“Just for his confidence and the impact he can have on the group as one of the players that owns his spot and can go out there and leave the rest of the players, he’s going to need some real support this year.”
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81-Test former All Black Justin Marshall has suggested that Barrett would benefit from a move to the blindside for the Crusaders, to get some form back and due to the the quality of locks available at the Crusaders.
“I just feel at the moment, the work he’s doing in the middle is not given him the balance that we know, that he can have as a player,” Marshall said on The Breakdown.
“If he was to go off the side of the scrum because he can distribute, he can play second receiver.
“This is for the Crusaders not for the All Blacks. It’s just to find his mojo again. So you can carry hard at blindside. But equally, you can balance your game with ability.
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“Don’t have to play as tight, you don’t have to clean every ruck, which he’s doing at the moment, and he’s doing it effectively, temporarily. Maybe that might be refreshing for him as well.”
Wilson also agrees with Marshall, saying that a move to the blindside in Super Rugby Pacific might be what Barrett needs.
“I agree with you because you just want players playing with confidence. He’s got every opportunity to get back to his best, just we haven’t seen it yet and the fact I want the other players to have confidence in him.”
Former All Black centurion, Mils Muliaina, explained that he’s not worried that Barrett isn’t at his best right now and that it might be a blessing in disguise.
“He isn’t playing well and you don’t want to see your All Black captains sort of go through super rugby and sort of not perform,” Muliaina said.
“I just wonder whether he’s carrying something, I think he’s perhaps carrying an injury. I’m not that worried, though, to be totally honest, I’m not worried because I think it’s a great chance for him.
“I know he’s not the captain of the Crusaders, and the Crusaders are in a good spot in terms of the Super Rugby campaign but I think it’s a good time for him to start sorting out the All Blacks side.
“I’m not worried about his performance later on, I think it could actually be a blessing in disguise, but I do think at some stage, and we’re halfway through, he has to start performing.”
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The Breakdown team were talking about the ABs giving Ardie more freedom to play on the edges, where he’s lethal. If Sititi is your 8, that would mean a big up-the-guts 6 (and line out option) to free Ardie from carrying up the middle. Love to see Barrett being given that brief, but he can’t just be dropped in at the deep end at test level without consistent time there at SR level. And I just don’t see the Crusaders doing that, at the expense of Grace or Kellow or Gardiner - unless Razor gives Penny the word. I do think the Crusaders would benefit too, as winter sets in and the games become slower and tighter. C’mon Razor.
The Breakdown team are full of old farts who cannot understand the modern game. Every week Muliaina calls dangerous play a gentle tap, and Wilson claims Beauden can do no wrong etc.
Also, they fail to acknowledge that Robertson has already talked about why Savea seemed like he had less impact last year. He just swapped the numbers round, having Ardie do the bulk of the 6 work at 8 to free up Sititi at 6.
Stop faffing about at thebAB level. Stick with the big Chief Finau. Savea, Sititi and Samipeni.
Some interesting points made by the Breakdown team. I think Scott Barrett will get better . At the moment Antonio Shalfoon is the form Crusaders lock and Quinten Strange and Jamie Hannah are back. Young Tahler Cahill played very well on Saturday. With the team finding it’s mojo again and Scott will come back refreshed.
Should look at what Aotearoa Rugby Pod said last week. His current stats are actually similar to last year’s, difference being he’s conceding less penalties, and hitting more rucks. Only thing he’s really dropped in is metres gained.