All Blacks great: Does Scott Robertson have the ‘balls’ to follow Rassie’s lead and risk ‘fallout’ to solve major issue?
All Blacks boss Scott Robertson shaking hands with Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, and New Zealand back Jordie Barrett.
Justin Marshall believes moving Jordie Barrett from inside centre could solve the All Blacks’ high ball woes, but that it would take a “brave” coach, such as Rassie Erasmus, to do it.
New Zealand have faltered aerially in 2025 with Scott Robertson not settling on a back three combination this year.
Injury has partially played a part in that but form has also been an issue with few back three players really standing out.
Only Will Jordan has performed consistently well at either wing or full-back, but even he struggled under the high ball against the Springboks in Wellington.
Jordan and Barrett both in the back three?
Jordan, alongside midfield maestro Barrett, have been the All Blacks‘ best backs this year, and there may be a temptation for Robertson to play them together in the back three.
The youngest Barrett is one of their best players in the air and, according to Marshall, could finally alleviate one huge problem.
“You’ve just got to come up with a solution. Could we look at moving him and maybe look at him going back to full-back again, which he can play competently, and leave Will Jordan on the wing?” he told Sport Nation’s The Rugby Run.
“Or Jordie, as he did in the World Cup, can play on the wing. Moving him, you’re probably going to solve a bit of a problem with the aerial problems that we’re having at the moment.”
However, a solution in one area could then become a problem in another should the in-form Barrett be shifted to either wing or full-back.
The All Blacks do have a number of players that can feature at 12 but only Anton Lienert-Brown has done it on more than a few occasions at Test level.
“With his height and his ability in the air, he can offer us something that we’re not seeing at the moment, but you’ve got to come up with a solution at 12 and I just don’t know what that is,” Marshall said.
“Quinn Tupaea still hasn’t had a lot of rugby and he’s the only other midfielder within that mix, apart from Anton Lienert-Brown, that could slot into that 12 jersey.
“Or do you look at a Leicester Fainga’anuku coming in at 12 and leaving Billy Proctor there, and move Jordie?
“These are all areas we need to starting thinking about and not be afraid to look at.”
The potential ‘fallout’
Having Barrett in the back three could well prove to be a stroke of genius but Robertson would have to deal with the consequences should it all go wrong.
“What’s not working now needs to be fixed. Can we actually be brave like Rassie Erasmus? Has Scott Robertson got the balls to do that, considering how much pressure he’s under?” Marshall added.
“Imagine if it doesn’t work – the fallout. That’s the hard part.
“I’m happy to throw an opinion out there but I’m not the guy that’s responsible for it. I know what I see, I know what Fainga’anuku can bring to that backline, but I’m not the guy that has to make that decision, put him in that jersey and deal with the consequences if it doesn’t work.”
