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Why Beauden Barrett is ‘lucky’ injury didn’t end Rugby World Cup dream

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

With just three months to go until this year’s Rugby World Cup, All Blacks fans can breathe easy as star playmaker Beauden Barrett prepares to return from a gruesome sidelines stint.

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But in his own words, Barrett admitted he’s “lucky” it wasn’t any worse.

A cut to the heel could’ve ended the 32-year-old’s Rugby World Cup campaign months before it started.

Last month, Barrett limped off the sacred turf at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, and disappeared down the tunnel – but the extent of his injury was unknown at the time.

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Barrett eventually returned to the sidelines with a smile on his face, and watched on as the Blues recorded a convincing 26-45 win over the Reds.

But the prognosis was anything but tame.

It was later confirmed that Barrett had sustained a serious cut to his heel, which ended up ruling the star playmaker out of the Blues’ final two regular season fixtures.

“It hasn’t been frustrating, the expectations had been clear early on that it could take some time to heal,” Barrett told reporters.

“It was a deep cut, it’s got a fair amount of stiches in there.

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“The concern was to push the range and pop the stiches, if my eagerness took over, but I was pretty patient and trusted what the docs were saying.

“So here I am, I’m available for the quarter-finals.”

But the Rugby World Cup winner is back – and what a time to return.

The Blues are preparing to host the NSW Waratahs in a blockbuster quarter-final on Saturday, and Barrett is set to lead the Aucklanders around the park from flyhalf.

Barrett will link up with All Blacks teammate Finlay Christie in the halves, and play inside of explosive backs including Rieko Ioane and Mark Telea.

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But had things gone a little bit differently in Brisbane, Barrett might not have returned for the Blues at all in 2023 – or the All Blacks for that matter.

While explaining how “lucky” he was, Barrett said the injury “could’ve” ended the All Blacks’ rugby year.

“It was a sprig straight across my Achilles,” he added. “It did everything but get the tendon.

“It was a good gash – I must have been pretty lucky for it not to nick the tendon.

“I am fresh and I’ve got a spring in my step, it’s quarter-final week, everything’s on the line, the sun’s out (and) the guys are pretty excited.”

The Blues will host the Waratahs at Auckland’s Eden Park at 7.35pm NZST on Friday night.

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Comments

2 Comments
G
G 651 days ago

Don't need him at RWC but has been a great servant

A
Andrew 651 days ago

Just in time to try and do his best to help the Waratahs stay in the game by his normal aimless hoof and hope tactical kicking.

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M
MS 1 hour ago
Why Blair Kinghorn should be nailed on as the Lions starting 15

I can see arguments for both Kinghorn, and Keenan starting for the Lions. But I’m less convinced by some of the claims (clearly partisan) supporters are using to argue the merits of one over the other.


For example, a number of Ireland supporters have suggested Kinghorn is ‘defensively weak’. That’s patently false - or at least on the evidence of this 6N, he’s certainly no weaker there than Keenan is, who is presumably the comparative standard they’re using. Keenan was both shrugged off in contact, and beaten on the edge for pace, a number of times during this competition.


Equally, Scotland supporters arguing Kinghorn is the more capable ‘rugby player’ seem to have overlooked the (frankly sizeable) body of evidence demonstrating that Keenan is an excellent ball in hand distributor and decision maker. So that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny either.


I don’t think there’s all that much to choose between them, and either would be a strong choice. I think it would be really interesting from a pure rugby perspective to see Keenan playing a ‘Scotland-esque’ style of high tempo attacking rugby. Either coming into the line more routinely as first receiver, or being swung as a pendulum and getting the ball on the edge against a stretched defence.


That’s assuming Andy Farrell goes that route, of course. He may well just opt for his Ireland system instead, and populate it with the likes of Henshaw, Ringrose, Lowe and Keenan. I’m sure that would win the series. Quite what effect it might have on a Lions audience who were expecting something other than ‘Ireland on tour, but wearing red’ would remain to be seen.


As for the debate at FB, the only ‘eye test’ difference I feel exists is in the pace of rugby Kinghorn (Toulouse? Scotland?) tends to play. His passing/offload game feels crisper and higher tempo than Keenan’s - and as we saw in Paris, his pace and eye for a gap from deep are superior.


But again, that will only prove a decisive factor if Andy Farrell wants to play that way. If all he wants from his FB is to sit deep, field high balls, and mop up then there’s little between these two equally excellent players.

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