All Blacks: Jordie Barrett on Boks, 'that kick', and 'inspirational' Lydia Ko

These days, no conversation about the Springboks with All Blacks midfielder Jordie Barrett is complete without touching on “that kick” and what it was like packing down on the side of the scrum and being clattered by bruising flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit every time he got the ball on a wet and unforgiving night in Paris last October.

It will come as little surprise that Barrett, who has this week trained with his All Blacks teammates in Johannesburg in bright sunshine and temperatures of up to 28degC, still has painful memories of the World Cup final, a match in which he pushed himself to the limit mentally and physically.

He of course had a chance to put the All Blacks ahead with six minutes remaining but missed the long-range penalty.

The hard truth is that the Boks won 12-11 to go back-to-back in World Cups after their success in Japan four years earlier.

A fuller picture is that the All Blacks did remarkably well to stay in the game after playing most of it with 14 men following the first-half yellow cards to loose forwards Shannon Frizell and skipper Sam Cane, the latter elevated to a red soon after.

Fuller yet is that Barrett, now 27, did extraordinarily well to effectively play in two positions in the most extreme of high-pressure situations while being battered from pillar to post every time he received the ball.

In a wide-ranging interview with 1News this morning, Barrett said he had a joke with the front rowers this week after the All Black pack watched some recent footage as part of their Test preparation for the clash at Ellis Park on Sunday morning NZT.

“They said every time they looked at a review-preview clip of the last two times we played South Africa I was on the side of the scrum,” Barrett said. “Hopefully there’s not too much more of that.”

Cane’s red card forced Barrett on to the scrum in Paris. A red for brother Scott during the World Cup warm-up defeat at Twickenham had done the same thing. Something similar at Ellis Park would amount to cruel and unusual punishment for a hugely important part of the All Blacks midfield.

“During the final I had a newfound respect for the forwards and what they do,” he said. “Every time I’d be pushing on the tighthead [prop] and when I got up to run I’d get jelly legs… they were interesting circumstances, particularly in the World Cup final.

“We hung in there the best we could. If a couple of things had gone our way we might have been on the right side of the result. It still hurts looking back at the World Cup, but we’re presented with a great opportunity against a side we respect this week.”

Barrett’s penalty attempt from near halfway came after Richie Mo’unga’s missed conversion to Beauden Barrett’s try in the left corner.

With chances at a premium for both sides, Barrett's kick was always going to be a significant factor in the Test. If it had gone over it would likely have been the defining moment. As it was, Cane’s red card for an unintentional high tackle just before the half-hour took that honour.

“I struck it all right, but obviously it drew away from the posts,” Barrett said. “There was a bit of drizzle and swirling wind around. I actually struck it exactly where I wanted to – down the middle - and hit it sweetly. It just went left on me.

“It’s just the role of the goalkicker. It happens sometimes. Unfortunately, that is sport and myself and the All Blacks were on the wrong side of history that night.”

Asked whether his extra workload and the punishment he received carrying the ball into the teeth of the Boks’ defence played a part in the miss, he said: “I was certainly pretty battered and bruised after the game. I took a lot of carries in transition and was busy on the defence and on the side of the scrum for a lot of that game.

“When I was goalkicking I felt good, when I was kicking for touch I felt good. That’s just the way sport and rugby works out sometimes.”

Asked about du Toit, the Boks flanker who seemed to target Barrett and who will be again wearing the No.7 jersey at Ellis Park after initially being named at lock by head coach Rassie Erasmus, Barrett said: “When you’re asked to carry in the transition zone against a team that line speeds [on defence], you’ve got to be the one that gets in behind them and tries to create momentum for the side. That was inevitable.

“He’s a quality player and doesn’t go away. I actually enjoy carrying into the seams and ideally getting my legs and head through the [defensive] line. Sometimes you get beaten up and that’s just the way it is. He’s an outstanding player and I’ll be walking into the same thing this week.”

This is a hugely important week for head coach Scott Robertson and the entire squad, but especially the pack.

It's Robertson's first Test without assistant coach Leon MacDonald and the man known as Razor must be as sharp as he ever has around his messaging and strategies. And while there is no doubt the pack lifted for the big victory over Argentina at Eden Park, they must lift again at Ellis Park to make life easier for Barrett and the entire backline.

To that end, Scott Barrett’s return from a hand injury after two Tests out should help considerably.

“We can all see the value he adds to the jersey," Jordie said. "We’ve got our captain back, a great leader… there’s a lot goes on that people don’t see in terms of preparation and getting his group of forwards right.

“It’s great to have him back, particularly against a big, uncompromising, physical forward pack. A bit of steel added.”

Asked about how the attack is progressing this year, Barrett replied: “We were able to play I guess a more conservative and high-pressure game which is what was required to get a victory against England.

“It was pleasing to get a couple across the line. Obviously that Wellington night [Argentina defeat] wasn’t too pleasing, but we got a few more points against Argentina [at Eden Park]. It’s evolving and we can take another step forward this week.”

He added: “I think people underestimate how good of an outfit England are, particularly defensively. Their record against other top nations as well, they don’t leak a lot of points.”

When asked about the shock departure of MacDonald last week. Barrett replied: “What we know is what you guys know. It was a mutual agreement and a decision made there. I’ve got a lot of respect for Leon as a person and a coach as well.”

And so to this week. The All Blacks, second on the Rugby Championship table behind the Boks, can keep their hopes alive with a victory and it could be that it comes down to a long-range kick from one Jordie Barrett.

It wouldn’t be a redemption story as much as a confirmation of Barrett’s nerve and quality, and he wouldn’t back away from the opportunity.

The man himself said he heard recently that golf and rugby balls fly 13% further in Johannesburg, which is 1800m above sea level. It means anything within 60m would likely be in his range off the (rugby) tee.

“I’ve kicked well this week in training and the ball does seem to come off a little bit sweeter. It’s nice when you hit it true and get some good distance on it. I haven’t gone on to the other side of halfway to have a crack yet but I’ll do that tomorrow at the captain’s run and see how long I can go.”

Remarkably, given his fulltime job, Barrett plays golf with a 1 handicap. Needless to say, he hit a few balls with some teammates this week.

“It’s pretty hard to sustain [that handicap] during the rugby season with all the knocks and bruises you get… but I enjoy the game and play it as much as I can.”

It seems like a good opportunity to talk about Lydia Ko’s recent exploits on the golf course, the New Zealander winning an Olympic gold medal, entering the Hall of Fame and winning The Open in the space of a few weeks.

Barrett, still buzzing from adrenaline and caffeine after his team's defeat to the Pumas in Wellington, stayed up “probably later than I should have” and watched Ko’s final round in Paris. He said, quite rightly: “She’s had a golden month.”

It’s probably significant that Ko, a phenomenon as a teenager, reaped those recent rewards after having to go through some adversity. Accordingly, it’s not difficult to see why she would be such an inspiration to Barrett.

“She’s just amazing and it’s so inspirational seeing what she does down the stretch. She’s so calm, with a smile on her face, and she just delivers in those high-pressure moments.”

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