A couple of years ago Mick Byrne, the former All Blacks skills coach now with the Wallabies, sidled up next to Dane Haylett-Petty and took him for a look into his crystal ball.
Byrne tipped that Beauden Barrett, a regular at No.10 for the All Blacks, would end up wearing the No.15 fullback jersey for New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup.
Mick Byrne directs playmaker Beauden Barrett in 2015 ahead of an All Blacks Test against South Africa. Credit:EPA
“I found that really surprising,” Haylett-Petty said. “Now a couple months out [from the World Cup] he is having a run around there.”
Barrett was named at fullback against the Springboks recently, having started at No.10 in his most 36 recent Tests before that.
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It was to give Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo'unga – a player Byrne has helped with goal-kicking in the past – an audition at No.10.
By the end of 2017, Barrett had just won his second World Rugby player of the year award and was by a country mile the most potent No.10 in the world. Filling the shoes of Dan Carter, regarded as the best No.10 ever, had come easily for Barrett, and his position as chief playmaker had seemed a near certainty long-term.
Richie Mo'unga's form for the Crusaders over the last few seasons has been sensational. Credit:AP
However, the sensational form of Mounga, the Crusaders No.10 with a pinpoint kick on him, has forced Barrett to a move to fullback. The jury is still out on whether playing both together is the best combination, but Byrnes hunch that Mounga would be the All Blacks No.10 for the upcoming World Cup is interesting to say the least.
The All Blacks will name their team on Thursday for Saturdays first Bledisloe Cup fixture in Perth and there is plenty of debate as to whether Mounga should remain at No.10.
“I think they needed to give him a go,” Haylett-Petty said. “You dont want to be testing too much. Theyve got a big pool game against South Africa at the World Cup.
“The combination gives them two ball players playing both sides of the ruck. Obviously, they are both very good ball players and are very dangerous. Then I suppose [they like] Barretts pace to open up games on turnover and counter-attack.”
All Blacks winger Ben Smith, who labelled Byrne a “pretty intelligent guy”, has played plenty of rugby at fullback at international level. He said the transition from No.10 to No.15 was reasonably straightforward for a player of Barretts calibre.
A couple of years ago Mick Byrne, the former All Blacks skills coach now with the Wallabies, sidled up next to Dane Haylett-Petty and took him for a look into his crystal ball.
Byrne tipped that Beauden Barrett, a regular at No.10 for the All Blacks, would end up wearing the No.15 fullback jersey for New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup.
Mick Byrne directs playmaker Beauden Barrett in 2015 ahead of an All Blacks Test against South Africa. Credit:EPA
“I found that really surprising,” Haylett-Petty said. “Now a couple months out [from the World Cup] he is having a run around there.”
Barrett was named at fullback against the Springboks recently, having started at No.10 in his most 36 recent Tests before that.
Advertisement
It was to give Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo'unga – a player Byrne has helped with goal-kicking in the past – an audition at No.10.
By the end of 2017, Barrett had just won his second World Rugby player of the year award and was by a country mile the most potent No.10 in the world. Filling the shoes of Dan Carter, regarded as the best No.10 ever, had come easily for Barrett, and his position as chief playmaker had seemed a near certainty long-term.
Richie Mo'unga's form for the Crusaders over the last few seasons has been sensational. Credit:AP
However, the sensational form of Mounga, the Crusaders No.10 with a pinpoint kick on him, has forced Barrett to a move to fullback. The jury is still out on whether playing both together is the best combination, but Byrnes hunch that Mounga would be the All Blacks No.10 for the upcoming World Cup is interesting to say the least.
The All Blacks will name their team on Thursday for Saturdays first Bledisloe Cup fixture in Perth and there is plenty of debate as to whether Mounga should remain at No.10.
“I think they needed to give him a go,” Haylett-Petty said. “You dont want to be testing too much. Theyve got a big pool game against South Africa at the World Cup.
“The combination gives them two ball players playing both sides of the ruck. Obviously, they are both very good ball players and are very dangerous. Then I suppose [they like] Barretts pace to open up games on turnover and counter-attack.”
All Blacks winger Ben Smith, who labelled Byrne a “pretty intelligent guy”, has played plenty of rugby at fullback at international level. He said the transition from No.10 to No.15 was reasonably straightforward for a player of Barretts calibre.
