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Scott Robertson explains why Beauden Barrett was selected ahead of McKenzie

Beauden Barrett of New Zealand looks on during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between New Zealand All Blacks and Australia Wallabies at Sky Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Scott Robertson says the selection of Beauden Barrett at first five for the All Blacks against England is the best call “for this week”.

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The All Blacks have used Damian McKenzie almost exclusively at No 10 this season, with Barrett getting his first chance in the second Bledisloe Test in Wellington, a 33-13 victory.

After McKenzie started against Japan with a largely second string side, Robertson stopped short of confirming a permanent change had been made.

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“A little bit,” Roberston said when asked if the All Blacks’ style will change with Beauden.

“Beauden is experienced. He understands what it is with the northern tours. If it’s out of his hands, or off the his foot, or game management.

“He’s very instinctive, the way he plays, but also knows how to get you around the field, so we believe he’s the best one for this week.”

Barrett proved instrumental for the All Blacks against England when the two sides met in July, with a bench cameo from Barrett lifting the side home at Eden Park in the second encounter.

He produced a game-changing performance in the final quarter, setting up a try and swinging the momentum back in New Zealand’s favour.

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Robertson said that either of McKenzie or Barrett are great bench options, but he is looking for multiple options at the position.

“I think when we gave Beauden a crack, he was great,” Robertson said.

“And as I mentioned before, just tactically, how this game is played, we know either of them are awesome off the bench.

“You know, with Beauden, it’s his chance. You could have two, three 10s in your team that play. Most of the top teams now give the guys opportunities and in this part of the calendar, it’s his.”

Robertson had high praise for Barrett, calling him the “ultimate professional” with his preparation and leadership impressing the new head coach.

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With 131 Test caps under his belt, he is the fourth most capped All Black on all-time and will equal Keven Mealamu in third when he runs out at Twickenham.

“I knew he’s professional, but he’s the ultimate, like day-to-day, his daily habits, his ability to stand up and demand what’s required,” Robertson explained.

“Very articulate and knows the game well. Look, I’ve been impressed in that regard.

“And he’s performed when we have that opportunity, either at the end of games, or now that you know, the last test match in Australia. So he’s had a good week.”

Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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1 Comment
D
DS 19 days ago

It's Robertson's call but if NZ intend to dominate world rugby with open running rugby, as Wayne Smith suggests, then Barretts at 10 and 12 is not a great start. DMac really needs to look at other offers but plenty of us will miss his magic at the Chiefs. Bring on the rolling maul -yawn!

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JW 51 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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