RTS has ‘freakish attributes’ – Barrett
Not a lot amazes Beauden Barrett on the rugby field these days. But new Blues team-mate Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has managed to capture the star playmaker’s attention as they move towards their first start together in Super Rugby Pacific.
Barrett steps in as captain in a rejigged Blues lineup that should extend their 2022 Super Rugby win streak to eight against the Fijian Drua in the Melbourne ‘Super Round’ tonight at AAMI Park.
In a lineup featuring nine starting changes from that which got the job done so impressively against the Crusaders last Friday, Tuivasa-Sheck returns for his first run-on appearance since his successful rugby return was halted in its tracks by a round-3 injury.
It will be the first outing of the year for the backline trio of Barrett, Tuivasa-Sheck and Rieko Ioane in a 10-12-13 combination that has serious All Blacks overtones. The prospect of this trio in full flight and playing off each other over the next couple of months is exciting to say the least.
Tuivasa-Sheck’s celebrated return to the code he last played at Otahuhu College has been interrupted by that shoulder knock against the Chiefs, but he came through a testing quarter of an hour off the pine in Christchurch mainly spent, successfully, battening down the hatches against the fast-finishing Crusaders.
Bryce Heem filled in admirably in the absence of the former Warriors NRL star and Kiwis internationaal skipper, but coach Leon MacDonald is clearly keen to hand his key backline influencers a first start together in a match that should not – all going to plan – contain too many stress points for the competition’s best team.
‘‘Very exciting,’’ said the in-form Barrett when asked about the prospect of a first start with the code-hopper.
‘‘We were all hanging out to see him with ball in hand last weekend, but it was a D-day for Rog and the team over the last 20 minutes. Hopefully we can give him plenty of ball and see what he can do.’’
Barrett was asked what he had noted about Tuivasa-Sheck during their time at the Blues this season, and his response was telling.
‘‘His physical attributes are freakish. I’ve seen him do things I haven’t seen before on the field, one-on-ones and things like that. I’ve been really impressed with his professionalism too, the questions he asks and how much he actually knows about footy.
‘‘A lot people would be surprised about that. He’s clearly been watching a fair bit whilst playing for the Warriors and Kiwis, and has picked it up really quick,’’ said the All Blacks test centurion.
‘‘He has a lot more time than typically those would playing 12 if they were making the transition. He is more calculated and makes good decisions out there. Rather than being just a pure athlete with ball in hand, he’s tactically right up there.’’
Barrett also provided an important perspective on the 7-1 Blues’ mindset as they move on from their first victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch in 18 years that puts them in the box seat to top the regular-season standings.
‘‘We’ve already moved on,’’ he said after a four-day Easter refresh.
‘‘The guys have returned with a spring in our step and we had a great (Thursday) training, we really flicked the switch, and for those travelling we’re excited to get to Melbourne.’’
Barrett said the switch to a diet of Aussie teams for the next six weeks, as well as the chance to get on tour offshore again, would provide a ‘‘mental refresh’’.
In terms of the Blues now morphing from hunter to the hunted, with a target very much on their backs, the veteran All Black said it was important for the 2021 Trans-Tasman champs to embrace their new status.
‘‘We’ve got a lot of responsibility on our shoulders, but it’s where we want to be, and how we want to be perceived.
‘‘It’s a privilege to be looked at that way, but we’ve got to deliver. It’s as simple as that really. That’s the standard, and we’ve still got a lot of work to do and a long way to go in this competition.’’
Things are heating up for the Blues. Akira Ioane and Caleb Clarke could be back on deck to face the Force in Perth in round 11, as will some refreshed bodies that may or may not include halfback Fin Christie and senior lock Josh Goodhue who are both in HIA protocols.