It has taken Jordie Barrett six years of being a positional nomad to finally arrive in the place he wants to be and absolutely needs to be for the All Blacks.
And the wait has been worth it, because Barrett, has become arguably the All Blacks most critical player at this World Cup.
A case can be made for a handful of other players – that the All Blacks wouldn’t be the same without them. Shannon Frizell has shown that when he’s at blindside, the All Blacks are better able to play their preferred continuity game on the back of his ball carrying and dominant tackling. Ardie Savea brings a unique skill-set to his work at No 8 and there isn’t a specialist alternative in the squad, while Aaron Smith’s speed, passing accuracy and experience are qualities everyone will better appreciate when they are no longer there.
But what has become clear in the last month or so, is that the All Blacks are not the same team without the youngest of the three Barretts in the squad.
Barrett brings qualities that no other midfield can replicate, but more importantly, the All Blacks can’t play the way they want to without the 26-year-old.

Their whole game-plan is built on generating momentum through multiple, dynamic ball carriers that enable the All Blacks to recycle quickly and keep shifting the defence.
To do that, there needs to be an endless supply of big men on their feet willing to run hard and direct up the middle to suck the defence in and eventually leave space out wide.
And once the space is created, there needs to be a capacity to use it: to have good decision-makers, visionaries and creative types who can work out whether to pass, kick or run.
It’s a gameplan that requires the All Blacks No 12 to be able to be both relentlessly physical and capable of smashing hard yards against big men, bit to also have the skill-set of a first-five, with the distribution, kicking repertoire and awareness to capitalise on whatever opportunities are presented.
It’s an almost impossible role to fulfil; there just aren’t many players in the world game who have the size and resilience to be battering rams but also the wider range of softer skills to be a silky play-maker.
As Richie Mo’unga explained after the 96-17 demolition of Italy: “It’s nothing special, nothing secret. Winning dominance in our carries and cleans allows us to play eyes-up footy which we’re really good at.”
Barrett wasn’t available to play France in the opening game of the tournament and its hard to exaggerate how much the All Blacks missed him.
And this is why Barrett is irreplaceable – he’s truly the only man in New Zealand capable of giving the All Blacks everything they need at No 12 and its almost as if the gameplan has been devised specifically with him in mind.
Barrett wasn’t available to play France in the opening game of the tournament and its hard to exaggerate how much the All Blacks missed him.
His replacement, Anton Lienert-Brown, a fine player, is just not the same type of athlete or equipped to deliver the same vast range of skills as Barrett.
The All Blacks didn’t have the same physical presence in the middle of the field against France with Lienert-Brown and this is why All Blacks head coach Ian Foster was notably relieved when he was able to name Barrett to start against Italy and then again against Uruguay six days later.
Barrett is a player Foster needs on the field if the All Blacks are going to win this World Cup – as their gameplan simply doesn’t work without him.
And the statistics back-up what most people have been able to work out for themselves, which is that New Zealand are an infinitely better team with Barrett at No 12.

If we go back to the start of 2022 when the All Blacks were picking David Havili and Quinn Tupaea at second five, the All Blacks played eight tests and won four.
Since Barrett shifted to No 12 in the last game of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks have played 13 tests and won 10, drawn one and lost twice.
One of those defeats came when Barrett was injured, but the deeper story is told by the nature of the performances since the positional shift.
The All Blacks’ best work has all come with Barrett at 12 and there is a direct link between him playing well and the team playing well. His three best performances as a second five came in the first three games of this year’s Rugby Championship – Tests in which the All Blacks hammered Argentina, Australia and South Africa.
He was also superb against Italy – smashing holes, playing others into gaps and setting up the first try of the game with his perfectly weighted cross-kick for Will Jordan.
Barrett has revolutionised the All Blacks attack from No 12 and looked so natural there, that it makes it incredible to think back that even 13 months ago, there was total resistance within the coaching group to shift him to the midfield.
We’ve watched with interest him playing 12. It hasn’t excited me that he’s gone into there.
Ian Foster following Jordie Barrett’s shift to midfield for the Hurricanes
Barrett, who has said for most of his professional career that his preference is the No 12 jersey, could not persuade anyone to play him there.
Why it has taken so long for Barrett to be installed in the All Blacks No 12 jersey will be one of those stories that inevitably becomes part of New Zealand rugby folklore.
The Hurricanes used him at fullback when he first started in 2017. He made his debut there for the All Blacks in the same year and bounced around between fullback and wing for the national team.
At the last World Cup, he played a test at No 10 against Namibia. When he came home from that tournament he ramped up his own publicity to say he was eager to switch to second five but it took until 2022 for his Super Rugby club to give him a regular slot there.
He played well as a No 12 for the Hurricanes, but even as the competition neared its end, All Blacks coach Ian Foster was seemingly not convinced about using Barrett there.
“We’ve watched with interest him playing 12. It hasn’t excited me that he’s gone into there,” Foster.

“He’s played 12 before and he quite enjoys it. If it stimulates him that’s great, and I’m interested to see whether it’s an option for us long-term, because it might become one.
“The clue I’d give is I thought he was one of our best All Blacks last year (at fullback) with his goalkicking, his high-ball stuff and kicking, and if you start thinking about World Cups, France, big stadiums, low-risk teams you have to have a back three that defuses high ball, has a great kicking game and is strong defensively.
“He ticks those boxes. I still love him as a 15. But are we willing to consider some options at 12? Yes, we are.”
What makes the story yet more colourful and enduring is that it was effectively by accident that Barrett was shifted from fullback to inside centre.
While Foster had said he was willing to consider Barrett as a No 12 option, it only actually happened after first Quinn Tupaea and then David Havili were both injured in the first half of the Melbourne Bledisloe Cup test last year, forcing Barrett to play close to 60 minutes of that game in the midfield.
It was a special 60 minutes, though and the following week, Foster relented and started Barrett at No 12 for the first time. Australia were blown away and Barrett has never been considered anything but a second five ever since.
Bloody hell, playing Jordie at #12 has never been a secret down here in Canterbury. Razor had him & Goodhue at 12 & 13 as 19/20 year olds for Canterbury, positions they both played for their club Lincoln. Razor was grooming them both for SR higher honours in these positions before Jordie turned down a Crusaders' offer to go to the Canes (hence missing out on 7 Super Rugby titles lol).
Up there he became Mr Master of None & his career suffered for it, chopping & changing. Later when the subject became a bit of a headline as the ABs floundered under Foster, I still remember Foster's adamant retort "Jordie's not a 12". Okay then lol. Better very, very, late, than never I suppose.
Hansen and the Hurricanes had him at 15, it made sense, he's a damn good Fullback too, in our top 3 with Beauden and DMac and the Hurricanes had Laumape.
Or, perhaps not. Perhaps he also lost the Crusaders important games, like he did the Hurricanes and All Blacks?
Here's another one I can throw at ya, perhaps New Zealand would have lost the series to the Lions, if he hadn't of shifted north and to the end of the backline. Those were perhaps his best games, and along with Reiko, were the only real threats.
Seriously, we all knew he was going to be a 12. Perhaps too, that should have happened in 19', when he could have been put in cotton wool and allowed the vets to play there way back into form and a World Cup. But the selectors were still picking George Bridge in those days so there was zero chance of anything sensible happening.
How long should you go on letting a guy say "I'm just happy to be picked in the team, I don't care where it is" before he really does just stop caring about his position?
The first time Jordie came to my attention was when he was playing the NZ U20s & he was playing 12/13 then. At the time, imho, he seemed to be more interested in the 'off the ball niggle' so good to see that he has other priorities now. He was clearly transitioned to 15 at the Hurricanes because of his kicking out of hand ability & his lack of midfield inexperience/size compared to the incumbents at the time. I thought I had also read that he had also played 1st Five in his Junior/School days so switching back to 12/13 was only a natural thing to do once he had 'filled out'.
BB at 12 Leicester left wing Talea right wing Jordan fullback, time to get it right
Will Jordan is a terrible Fullback, I swear it's like I was the only one watching that game.
BB in the stands would be the best option. Leicester at 12, now that would be interesting, but it's a bit late for that.
We can be all thankful Jordie has at least steadied the ship in the mid field - hes a better all round player than Tupaea and Havili - his kicking passing game is supurb - I feel uncomfortable not having a nonu type player there - but we have someone I hope on the bench who will step in with serious pick and go with smash and bang brutality. Im talking about LF - he would round off all boxes ticked to take down Ireland and counter Aki not that Jordie cannot - he also plays with Mounga - we cant just rely on slick moves chip kicks and passing - what we tend to do when we cant break through is head down inaccurate give away possession chip kicks and when that starts the game will be lost LF can avoid that he can hurt defenders and drag them in if all else fails - hes our Ace in the hole just as important as Mckenzie and Roigard we might have 3 winning world cup players on the bench in Whitlock Coles and Cane add Williams and say Lomax theres the winning of the game
Foster has options Replace Ioane for ALB - LF on the bench or straight swap LF for ALB - hes running into some nice form but to me its going to be a horses for courses selection We must have all the weapons avaliable to take down Ireland
Scotland had a lot of possession NZ will know what to do with it Ireland looked like every other team going backwards Shite
They must be dominated from the get go its war - cut and thrust last man standing stuff - I see NZ with an edge man to man they are better but Ireland have cohesion in spades thats NZs challenge we have to keep cool and problem solve our way out of pressure Ireland will be coming at us a million miles an hour - we also have some pay back to dispense out
If leceister comes on at 2nd jordie has to move to 13. Leaving ioane there and our midfield defence would be pumice
As with many fundamental decisions in this ABs team: coaches, front rowers, midfield, Mounga, Roigard, etc, Foster has had them forced upon him or just found them by sheer luck against his will
Well said, G. And Fossie's latest comments - 'we'll play our own way', 'the beautiful game' etc - seem to indicate he already knows the ABs have only a starter's show against Ireland and is getting his excuses in first. And it's not just defence. Compare the first 20 attack by Ireland vs Scotland and ABs vs Uruguay. Ireland's attack had vision and complexity while the ABs just shovelled it laterally or carted it into contact with one-off runners (and got turned over). Ireland play the beautiful game, Fossie, not us on current form. Fossie will be remembered for the stubbornness of his selections, or, if you're from the Chiefs, his loyalty to Sam Cane, who was again ineffectual, even against Uruguay.
timing is everything in life. Jordie came into 12 just as Ryan had begun sorting out NZ's forwards. He has only played well against easy-beat opponents (Aus, Wales, Arg etc), but in his two "big" tests (i.e. with slow ball and against big midfielders - the conditions Havili and Tupaea faced regularly in the losses mentioned) against Eng and SA both at Twickenham, he was the worst player on the field. He will most likely fail again against Ireland next weekend. The idea Jordie Barrett is the "big fix" is for dullards. He is great if you are trying to put a big score on Italy or Wales, otherwise he is rubish.
Talking of dullards. Putting Wales in the same basket as Italy, shows how myopic and insular you are. Wales will be in a WC semi final come next weekend and have topped their group. NZ will be out of the WC. Italy didn't get out of the group stages.
As for Barrett, it's rather a moot point - he's no different to the rest of the current NZ crop (minus Jordan and Savea - both generational standouts) - an average generation of players not expected to progress passed the Qtrs, under a very average coach.
There is a lot to what you are saying Skinny. The "big fix" needed is at the HC level. I like Jordie at 12 but he is definitely not the finished article. The "dual playmaker", kick happy offense gets found out against rush defense and if the forwards don't play direct - dominating collisions, cleaning out and contesting the tackle area, Jordie has also been found wanting. I would not call him rubbish, he is just not "the" answer.
Fingers crossed the referee selected for this match doesn't allow the Irish to walk slowly to the lineout before running into the lineout and jumping, prevent the water breaks that plagued the first quarter of the Irish versus Scottish test and penalise the Irish dummy runners that operate screens for ball carriers like it's a game of NFL. If the Irish can make it a drawn out, night, stop start match that is their only chance to stop what's coming.
Quarters here we come the All Blacks must play direct against the Irish around the fringes to combat there rush defence forwards must run hard make first time tackles..Go All Blacks 👌👍🏈
Agreed. Although if you look at the games the All Blacks have lost over the last couple of seasons the one noticeable absence from almost all these losses is Brodie Retallick. Someone should do the stats for that.
Some might argue Gregor that the direct link for the improvement in the AB's performance has been the improvement in the forward's play since Plumtree was fired and Ryan replaced him. Before then the forwards were not setting the required platform.
You're dead right, his effect was obvious and immediate. Which pretty much debunks the myth that coaches don't matter.
100% correct. You get it mate.
True, Ireland should have been given a red card for taking Brodie out in 2022 with the head clash from their prop's so called absorbing tackle. Allblacks main concern is the front row rustiness/injury.
AB's are 2 teams again - one with Retallick and the other without Retallick. Same with Kieron Read in days gone by, a different team without him.
And Ireland arnt two teams? One with Sexton one without? I dont agree with your comment anyway.
My thoughts exactly
Just another example of Foster being devoid of any vision. Usually the whole country can see the obvious before Foz reluctantly comes around. The best changes he has made during his tenure have all been forced upon him. Who knows, he may yet err his way to success. I think claiming 'folklore' is a bit enthusiastic at this stage Gregor - there's plenty of water to go under the bridge yet. First he has to deliver on the big stage, and that hasn't arrived yet (no Italy and Uruguay were not it).
As a passionate AB supporter I don’t really care who the coach is, but I do take umbrage to all the Foster haters on social media. Barrett will be first pick @ 12 when Robertson takes over and we should be looking at a centre, 8 And 7 next year
Fosters player development and rebuild since 2019 had been terrible until Schmidt and Ryan turned up
Couldn't have said it better myself. Devoid of vision...
Correct.