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Watch: All Black Jordie Barrett scores another for new club Leinster

Jordie Barrett of Leinster celebrates with teammates Robbie Henshaw, Josh van der Flier and Jamison Gibson-Park after scoring their side's second try despite the efforts of Lucas Tauzin and Alexandre Fischer of ASM Clermont Auvergne during the Champions Cup Pool 2 match between Leinster and ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Big-name recruit Jordie Barrett has hit the ground running with European heavyweights Leinster, with the All Black continuing to impress in the Champions Cup. Barrett has scored two tries in as many Leinster matches, which included one in his maiden start at fullback for the Irish side.

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After a well-received debut off the pine in last weekend’s 35-12 pool stage victory over Bristol Bears, Barrett was promoted to the starting side to face Clermont. This match was the New Zealander’s first appearance as a home player at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

World Rugby Player of the Year nominee Caelan Doris captained a star-studded side that included the likes of Josh Van der Flier on a flank, Andrew Porter at loosehead prop, Jamison Gibson-Park at scrumhalf, Garry Ringrose in the midfield, and Barrett out the back.

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Clermont had triumphed in their last three meetings against Leinster dating back to 2012, and they started this weekend’s clash in fine form as they chased the sweet taste of victory once again.

Alivereti Raka crashed over to score the opener in just the fourth minute, with the successful conversion giving Clermont an early 7-nil lead. The visitors hung onto their advantage for a decent period, but once Leinster took control they didn’t look back.

Ringrose crossed for a much-needed score in the 21st minute, with a successful conversion from highly-rated flyhalf Sam Prendergast levelling the scores. Four minutes later Leinster took the lead after Barrett dove over for the go-ahead points.

Gibson-Park started the attacking move with a tap about five metres out from Clermont’s try line. The halfback spread the ball left, with Prendergast finding Barrett who showed some strength and determination to fight through two defenders for the score.

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“Yeah, very scrappy but it’s Champions Cup,” Barrett told RTE Sport post-game. “Such a physical and combative side Clermont. We were expecting an aerial contest and for them to come hard at our breakdown and we got both of those.

“At times we made it hard on ourselves but it’s one of those games where you take the win and run away and look forward to next week.

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“… Normally [I] come here and I’m on the other side of the fence but look, it’s amazing. The support here tonight was awesome. It wasn’t too cold so we probably go a few more through the gate and I’m just grateful for every opportunity I get here at Leinster and I’m loving it so far.”

With that try to Barrett, Leinster took a 12-7 lead and they wouldn’t surrender their advantage throughout the rest of the match. There were no more tries scored, with Prendergast adding a second-half penalty goal to round out the hard-fought 15-7 win at Dublin’s rugby fortress.

Leinster sit in second-place in Pool 2 after recording two wins from as many matches to start their Champions Cup campaign. La Rochelle are also undefeated from two starts which sets up a blockbuster clash between the sides at Stade Marcel-Deflandre next month.

“You’ve got some quality players and some quality coaches and it’s great to rub shoulders with these boys and even better they’re great blokes,” Barrett went on to explain. “I’m loving my time here and learning plenty.

“These French sides, it’s so physical, even Bristol last week, they played a completely different game. You have to adapt and change every single week and that’s the beauty of European Championship rugby.

“We’ve got a different opposition next week in Connacht who are going to be waiting for us and ready. So, look, proud of our boys tonight.”


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21 Comments
H
Head high tackle 30 days ago

Id love to see Reiko Ioane sign with Leinster.

R
RedWarrior 31 days ago

Leinster are building nicely. Playing well within themselves and teams cant score against them. Teams averaging a good 10 points less against them this year. All talk is of Toulouse. Leinster are targetting their attack. Long way to go. Big match out in La Rochelle in January.

S
SadersMan 32 days ago

Slow predictable rugby, enjoying the step down from Super Rugby.

J
JW 30 days ago

And yet he still made a few mistakes looking like he had played FB in years?

R
RedWarrior 31 days ago

You can't base it on one match. Leinster, Toulouse, La Rochelle, Bordeaux beat any Super rugby team scoring a lot. Early in the season. Toulouse after scoring 60 v Exeter

S
SC 31 days ago

You vastly overate the number of good teams in Super Rugby. Out of now 11 teams, only 4-5 SRP teams could win matches in the Champions Cup- Blues, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Brumbies, and Crusaders (now that they have a quality 10 again).

I
Icefarrow 31 days ago

The sheer irony of a Crusaders fan calling other teams "predictable" 🤣

H
Head high tackle 32 days ago

Haha I heard he had a coffee during the week too. Amazing stuff. I believe he wasnt in his usual coffee drinking position either. Out of position but still managed it tho. What a legend.

R
RedWarrior 31 days ago

Leinster struggled without him in centre. Experiment over.

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J
JW 24 minutes ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

He wasn't, he was only there a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, he's a player of promise, but without ever having a season at 10 at that level, one could hardly ever think he would be in line to take over.


But if you really want to look at your question deeper, we get to that much fabled "production line" of the Crusaders. I predict you'll know what I mean when I say, Waikato, Waikato, Queensland.


I don't know everything about him (or his area I mean) but sure, it wouldnt have just been Razor that invested in him, and that's not to say he's the only 10 to have come out of that academy in the last half dozen years/decade since Mo'unga, but he is probably the best. So it's a matter of there having been no one else why it was so easy for people to picture him being razors heir apparent (no doubt he holds him in more high regard than the blurb/reference of his recently published though). And in general there is very much a no paching policy at that level which you may not appreciate .


For England? Really? That's interesting. I had just assumed he was viewed as club man and that national aspect was just used to entice him over. I mean he could stil be used by Scotland given I wouldn't expect them to have a whole lot of depth even thoe fh's one of their strongest positions at the moment. But certainly not England.


Personally I still think that far more likely was the reason. He would/could have done the same for Crusaders and NZ, just without half as much in his pocket. And as an individual I certainly don't think he'd have chosen England over the All Blacks (as a tru blue kiwi i mean), and he of all people should know where he sits. He said he wants to play internationally, so I take that at face value, he didn't think that could be for NZ, and he might have underestimated (or been mislead by McCall) England (and Scotland really), or have already chosen Scotland at the time, as seems the case from talk of his addition.


Again though, he's a player who I'd happily rate outside the trifecta of Barrett/McKenzie/Mo'unga in basic ability , even on par with foreign players like Plummer, Sopoaga, Ioane, and ahead of a bunch in his era like Falcon, Trask, Reihana. I've done the same thing >.< excluding Perofeta from the 10 debate. Hes probably below him but I think pero is a 15 now.

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J
JW 2 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

What do you mean should?


Are you asking these questions because you think they are important reasons a player should decide to represent a country?


I think that is back the front. They are good reasons why someone 'would' be able to choose Fiji (say in the case of Mo'unga's cousin who the Drua brought into their environment), but not reason's why they "should". Those need to be far more personal imo.


If you think it was me suggesting he "should" play for Fiji, I certainly wasn't suggesting that. I was merely suggesting he would/could because ther'ye very close to his heart with his dad having represented them.


I did go on to say the right sort of environment should be created to encourage them to want to represent Fiji (as with case of their european stars it's always a fine balance between wanting to play for them and other factors (like compared with personal develop at their club). but that is also not trying to suggest those players should want to play for Fiji simply because you make the prospect better, you're simply allowing for it to happen.


TLDR I actually sent you to the wrong post, I was thinking more about my reply to HU's sentiments with yours. Instead of running you around I'll just paste it in

What's wrong with that? Hoskins Sotutu could be selected for the Maori All Blacks, then go on latter and move to England and represent them, then once his career in England (no longer at that standard) is over move to Japan and finish his career playing for Fiji. Why should he not be able to represent any or all of those teams?

Actually I can't remember if it was that message or whether it indeed was my hypothetical Fiji example that I wanted to suggest would improve the International game, not cheapen it.


I suppose I have to try and explain that idea further now. So you say it cheapens the game. They game is already "cheap" when a nation like Fiji is only really allowed to get their full team going in a WC year. Or even it's the players themselves only caring about showing up in a WC year. To me this is a problem because a Fiji campaign/season isn't comparable to their competitors (in a situation where they're say ranked in the top 8. Take last year for instance. Many stars were absent of the Pacific Nations Cup, for whatever reason, but hey, when their team is touring a big EU nation like England or Ireland, wow suddenly theyre a high profile team again and they get the stars back.


Great right? No. Having those players come back was probably detrimental to the teams performance. My idea of having Sotutu and Bower encouraged (directly or indirectly) to play for Fiji is merely as a means to an end, to give the Flying Fijians the profile to both enrich and more accurately reflect the international game. You didn't really state what you dislike but it's easy to guess, and yes, this idea does utilize that aspect which does devalue the game in other cases, so I wanted to see if this picture would change that in this example (just and idea I was throwing out their, like I also said in my post, I don't actually think Sotutu or any of these players are going anywhere, even Ioane might still be hopeful of being slected).


The idea again, raise the visibility on the PNC so that can stand as a valued tournament on it's own and not require basic funded by WR to continue, but not enough to involve all the best players (even Japan treated it as a chance to play it's amatuers). Do this by hosting the PI island pool in places like Melbourne every other year, include some very high profile and influential team in it like an All Black team, and yes, by the nations getting together and creating ways to increase it's popularity by say asking individuals like Sotutu and Bower to strength it's marketability, with the hopeful follow on affect that stars like Botia and Radradra always want to (and can) represent their country. With Fiji as the example, but do it with Samoa and Tonga as well. They will need NZ and Aus (Japan) assistance to make a reality imo.


I don't believe this cheapens the game, I believe it makes it more valued as you're giving players the choice of who they chose to play for rather than basing it off money. Sotutu would never have forgone his paycheck to play for Fiji instead of NZ at the beginning, so you should viewed his current choice as 'cheap'

31 Go to comments
J
JW 4 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

What's wrong with that? Hoskins Sotutu could be selected for the Maori All Blacks, then go on latter and move to England and represent them, then once his career in England (no longer at that standard) is over move to Japan and finish his career playing for Fiji. Why should he not be able to represent any or all of those teams?

just playing for a pro-club a few years is no valid reason in my opinion

Ah, yes, you just have the wrong end of the stick. This has nothing to do with club footy (and can't really happen anymore), for example if the countries involved allowed it, Hoskins could represent all his national teams while playing for say, Moana Pacifika (a team unrelated to any nation). He is playing for countries because they mean something to him, ie like Ardiea Savea's decision, they just want to contribute something to their Island heritage. It's not like Fiji are going to ring the worlds best number 8 by that point in his career.


I do understand where you're coming from though (as what you're thinking was the case a while ago), but the world is changing more. Take this Sotutu England situation, this is becoming less and less likely from happening (at least in this example anyway), as the England Rugby union is not more in charge of payments and not seen as just icing on the cake to a massive club deal (that's how the English game got itself broke in the first place), and nations like Ireland have stated they are no longer going to look offshore etc. So the landscape is improving slowly.


This is all hypothetical remember. Sotutu is most likely to become a key All Black this year as he's the perfect foil a team with tyro's like Sititi, Lakai, Savea is going to need.

31 Go to comments
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