TODAY WILL MARK Beauden Barrett’s seventh Test cap against Ireland. Across those games, he’s experienced four wins and two defeats while delivering two man of the match performances, kicking 33 points and scoring two tries along the way.
During that time he’s also grown from young hot-shot to genuine world class talent. It all started back in 2012, at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.
23 June, 2012 – New Zealand 60 Ireland 0, Hamilton
Barrett’s early experiences of Test rugby must have left him with the impression that this stuff was all pretty straight forward. The boy wonder from the North Island town of Pungarehu made his senior international against Ireland in 2012, coming on for the injured Aaron Cruden with 23 minutes on the clock at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. By that point, the hosts were already 26-0 up, underlining their superiority after beating Ireland 42-10 and 22-19 in the opening two Tests of the three Test series against Declan Kidney’s team.
The 21-year-old started as he meant to go on the famous black jersey, kicking three conversions, a penalty and adding a bit of spark in attack – the highlight a lovely dummy to set up Adam Thompson’s late try – as his team inflicted a humiliating defeat on the visitors – the final score represented a record loss for Ireland against the All Blacks.
There were a few creases that needed ironing out, too, including a dangerous, unpunished tip-tackle on Paddy Wallace in his first few minutes on the pitch. He also sent a very kickable penalty off the post with his team approaching the 50-point mark, and failed to find touch with what looked another straight-forward kick. Some of those kicking issues persist to this day.
“It was the highlight of my career, the first opportunity to wear the black jersey,” Barrett later said.
“Coming off the bench, I felt like Superman – making tackles I’d never made before.”
It was far from perfect, but Barrett the All Black was up and running. He would play 18 more Tests before tasting defeat at international level for the first time.
24 November, 2013 – Ireland 22 New Zealand 24, Dublin
The second time Barrett faced Ireland he had yet to fully establish himself in the New Zealand team, playing the role of valuable substitute across the early years of his Test career.
When New Zealand came to Dublin in the autumn of 2013, he was also learning the importance of providing versatility, coming off the bench to play on the wing at the Aviva Stadium, having previously slotted in at out-half, full-back and centre at Test level.
Ireland, now under the leadership of Joe Schmidt, blitzed the All Blacks in the opening stages as they raced into an early 19-0 lead. By the time Barrett replaced Cory Jane with 15 minutes left to play, the visitors were within five points, trailing 22-17.
His lack of familiarity in the position showed in his early involvements, carrying a Murray grubber out of touch as the chasing Tommy Bowe closed in. The resulting lineout maul ended with Sexton dragging a penalty wide to the right, the margin remaining at five points with five minutes to play.
Barrett then played his role as the All Blacks turned the screw, taking a high ball under pressure and keeping possession during that intense passage of play that led to the game-levelling score. At the second attempt, Cruded landed the conversion and the All Blacks unbeaten record against Ireland remained in tact.
5 November 2016 – Ireland 40 New Zealand 29, Chicago
It would be three long years before Ireland and New Zealand did battle again. By that point both teams had changed considerably. Schmidt had moulded Ireland into a more consistent, clinical outfit, winning back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015, and the manner of the performances suggested there was even more to come.
Barrett, meanwhile, was also stepping up with the All Blacks. Having started at 10 just once in 2015, he was handed a regular run of games in the position in 2016. Between June and October of that year, Barrett started eight times at fly-half across a series of games against Wales, Australia, Argentina and South Africa, scoring six tries along the way. New Zealand won every one of those games as Barrett started to look the part as the All Blacks new 10.
The winning run came to an end in Chicago on an historic night for Irish rugby, Schmidt’s team becoming the first Ireland side to defeat the All Blacks.
Some of the qualities that had marked Barrett out that year were on display – he made 14 runs, with two defenders beaten and two offloads thrown – but he didn’t have the usual control in the face of intense pressure from the Ireland defence, conceding three turnovers on a rare off-day.
19 November 2016 – Ireland 9 New Zealand 21, Dublin
Barrett couldn’t afford too many of those off-days. He was still in the early stages of life as the All Blacks’ first-choice 10, one the most high pressure positions in world rugby.
Two weeks later in Dublin, and fresh from being named World Rugby Player of the Year for the first time, Barrett was back to his brilliant best, delivering a performance that still ranks alongside his greatest for New Zealand.
Three minutes in, he produced a pin-point crossfield kick that stretched the Ireland defence and sent Malakai Fekitoa over for an early try as New Zealand quickly stated their intent.
Ten minutes later he sliced through the Ireland defence from deep to send the visitors 14-3 up and put New Zealand in firm control. In between those those key moments in attack, he also delivered a try-saving tackle to stop Sean O’Brien just short of the line.
He ended a bruising, often brutal encounter as man of the match.
“It’s hard getting that balance but our intent was we wanted to be physical,” he said.
“Technique may have let us down a couple of times with the yellow cards, but it’s up to the referee to make those decisions. It was more attitude and intent. Our actions were the biggest focus.”
17 November 2018 – Ireland 16 New Zealand 9, Dublin
Come 2018, Ireland were now seen a serious, growing force by New Zealand. “They’re a smart team, they’ll throw a few things at us we’ve never seen before,” said Barrett. “They’re playing well, they’re very creative.”
“What I see is a dominant forward pack, a well-organised side – they get the small details right in their game. They’re very structured and they’ve got a good skillset to run ball in hand.”
What followed was a Joe Schmidt masterclass, a superb training-ground move seeing Jacob Stockdale cross for the decisive try in the first half.
Barrett – by now a two-time World Rugby Player of the Year – still made his mark on the game, kicking all of New Zealand’s point and showing some flashes of brilliance, beating four defenders and making one clean break. Yet it was another frustrating outing for him against Ireland, making some uncharasteric errors and conceding four turnovers and missing four tackles in what was his second loss to Schmidt’s men in as many years as his opposite number, Johnny Sexton, went on to take his Player of the Year crown.
19 October 2019 – Ireland 14 New Zealand 46, Yokohama
In the summer of 2019, All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen decided to relocate Barrett in his backline. A July Test match against South Africa in Wellington was Barrett’s first start at 15 for New Zealand since November 2013.
He held onto the position throughout the Rugby World Cup – with Richie Mo’unga now at 10 – and while the All Blacks would eventually come up short against England in the semi-finals, in the quarter-final meeting with Ireland Barrett was instrumental in a dominant All Blacks performance, the move to fullback allowing him to get more ball in hand and increasing his involvements around the park.
It was his try on 32 minutes – latching onto a spilled ball in the New Zealand half to race free – that put the game beyond doubt, Barrett showing superb awareness and acceleration to hand the reigning champions a 22-0 lead.
In another man of the match display, he finished with three clean breaks and three defenders beaten, while his 21 carries for 69 metres set a new a World Cup record for an All Black. Afterwards he dedicated the performance to his grandfather, who had passed away earlier in the week.
“All we wanted to do was play well for him tonight,” Barrett said. “It was great fun. We just wanted to play well, we just wanted to bring that intent.”
13 November 2021 – Ireland v New Zealand, Dublin
After some talk of a selection battle, Barrett’s gets the nod at out-half ahead of Mo’unga for today’s meeting in Dublin.
Given their previous encounters, Ireland know exactly what to expect from the gifted 30-year-old, who like Sexton – six years his senior – recently hit the 100 Test cap mark for the All Blacks. As well as being a giften playmaker, Barrett has also become a leader in the squad.
Brodie Retallick – who also debuted against Ireland in 2012 – has seen that growth first hand.
“He’s a massive part of this team,” Retallick told The42. “The first five-eighth directing this team around the field…
“He’s come back from Japan and put a performance on like he did in Cardiff (last month) was special to see, what an achievement for him and his family.
“To play 100 caps, two times player of the year, he’s just a class player, on and off the field. In the past few years I think he’s grown.”
Nine years into his Test career, and in a team packed full of superstars, Barrett remains an instrumental figure for the All Blacks. Today’s game in Dublin promises to be another fascinating instalment to his colourful history against Ireland.
Bernard Jackman, Niamh Briggs, and Ciarán Kennedy join Murray Kinsella to discuss Ireland v All Blacks and the latest big story in Irish women’s rugby:
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