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'Very disrespectful': Beauden Barrett's frustrations after facing off with former side

(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

While Beauden Barrett’s former Hurricanes cohort understood his decision to sign with the Blues ahead of the 2020 season, they weren’t going to let him off scot-free when they eventually went into battle as rivals instead of teammates.

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In fact, it was in Barrett’s first match wearing Blues colours that he immediately had to go head-to-head with the likes of TJ Perenara, Ngani Laumape and Dane Coles, with the Hurricanes travelling up to Eden Park for last year’s opening weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa.

The Blues eventually overcame the visitors, finishing up 30-20 winners on a sunny afternoon in Auckland, but it Coles who was able to get the first laugh of his former teammate, scoring an excellently taken try in the corner as he shrugged off a covering tackle from Barrett.

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Coles quickly ran to Barrett and was joined by his fellow Hurricanes in celebrating the score – with the Blues first five surrounded on all sides as his former team mates jumped in glee.

Speaking on the James Marshall’s What a Lad podcast, Barrett reminisced about the match and the key moments in the game.

 

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“[Coles] scampered. I forgot how quick he was – and heavy,” Barrett said. “That [celebration] was such a cool moment. Yes, I wish I’d tackled him in the corner but it wasn’t meant to be. He scored a try on me and that celebration was pretty funny.

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“I was a little bit rattled … Especially because the main man touching my head was [Scott] Scrafton, who was a Blue the previous year so quite ironic.”

With the game all but decided late in the piece, the back-and-forth between Coles and Barrett continued, with Sky Sports’ player cam catching a key moment between the pair.

With the Blues hot on attack, Coles put in a cheeky late shot on Barrett – and the first five chased the hooker down and gave him a friendly shove in the back, all the time sporting a huge grin on his face.

“It was funny. I love the banter with Colesy,” said Barrett.

“Honestly, he just wanted to really put a shot on me. When I say shot, a good old punch to the ribs or whatever. But he didn’t really get the opportunity to so this was his moment, I think it was in the 70th minute, it was quite late.

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“I wanted to tackle him but I would have got penalised for it. There was never even nasty words, it was more just the anger was in his eyes – that point he gives you when he grits his teeth.”

While Barrett expected a little bit of fire from his teammates, he admitted he was taken aback at the reaction of some of the Hurricanes fans when in the return fixture down in Wellington later in the 2020 season.

Barrett was booed whenever he touched the ball while his wife was verbally abused in the stands.

“At the time, I was gutted,” Barrett said of the match. “Like I never [thought] it would be easy to come back and play the Canes, play my teammates. But to hear it from fans, it was disappointing. I don’t like booing full stop. I appreciate when we play overseas and it’s quiet when kickers are kicking, they respect the kicker and so on. So yeah it was so disappointing to hear that.

“I understand they were gutted and, to be fair, they probably don’t know how to support someone or show dislike for someone in any other way other than booing so I took it for what it was afterwards, when I look back on it. But yeah it was disappointing when after the game, Han was quite upset. People were throwing stuff at her. That’s what really annoyed me. Very disrespectful.

“It wasn’t the homecoming I was hoping for but I understand that fans are passionate. They’re obviously gutted that I was wearing a blue jersey and to be fair, they were probably just booing the fact that I was in a blue jersey.”

After announcing his move to the Blues, Barrett revealed that his family was the main reason behind his shift north but speaking on the What a Lad podcast, Barrett explained the decision was down to a number of factors.

With the newly revealed rationale, perhaps Hurricanes fans will be more accommodating when Barrett next plays in Wellington.

Barrett has sat out this year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa and Trans-Tasman competitions, instead spending the season in Japan representing the Suntory Sungoliath.

Next year, he’ll again link up with the Blues – but he’s eligible to play for the All Blacks in the upcoming test matches and could feature in New Zealand’s capital in the third Bledisloe Cup fixture of the year, scheduled for August 28.

That game would mark Barrett’s first appearance for the All Blacks in Wellington since his move to the Blues after being a late scratching from last year’s opening clash of the season with Australia.

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R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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