All Blacks player ratings: World-class Scott Barrett stars in Bledisloe Cup victory

Jared Wright
Australia's Andrew Kellaway, right, is tackled by New Zealand's Scott Barrett during their Bledisloe Cup rugby union test match in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, July 29, 2023.

All Blacks lock Scott Barrett was the standout against the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup Test.

Following a comprehensive 38-7 win over the Wallabies to retain the Bledisloe Cup and claim the Rugby Championship, here are our All Blacks player ratings from the clash at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

All Blacks player ratings

15 Beauden Barrett: The Mo’unga-Barrett axis shone again today. Barrett had a more understated game but was still sharp, added some punch to the attack and was a cool head at the back. 7

14 Will Jordan: 23 Test matches and 23 tries; simply incredible numbers for an incredible player. He assisted a try too, and got a shot at full-back in the second half. An excellent game again from the outside back. 8

13 Rieko Ioane: He still has the lapses in defence, missing three of his 14 attempted tackles, but again he shone in possession and grabbed another try. 7

Barrett solidifies the midfield

12 Jordie Barrett: Yet another stellar showing in the number 12 jersey for the All Blacks, who regularly got over the advantage line when he carried and made great decisions when passing and kicking. Strong defensively too. 8

11 Mark Telea: Schoolboy error with his tap and go, which denied him a first-half try. He did have one or two other hiccups with the ball in hand, but was a real handful for the Wallabies’ defence and covered the backfield nicely. Telea came alive in the second half to punish the Wallabies, scoring and assisting a try. 8

10 Richie Mo’unga: A quiet start to the game, but he grew into the encounter with awareness leading to the score for Jordan. When the All Blacks gained the ascendancy, Mo’unga shone. He had a score chalked off and missed two efforts from the tee, but in the end, it was a better-than-average showing. 6

9 Aaron Smith: The veteran half-back did have a few uncharacteristic hiccups in the first half, but overall it was another clinic from the experienced number nine. 7

Solid loose trio performance

8 Ardie Savea: All action from the stand-in captain. He made a momentum-swinging turnover when the Wallabies looked to get back in the fight while he was electric in possession and defended strongly. 8

7 Dalton Papali’i: The Australians got the upper hand at the breakdowns in the opening half, and Papali’i could not get a look in. He did manage one turnover during his shift and tackled well. A solid game but not one that will put enormous pressure on the absent Sam Cane. 6

6 Shannon Frizell: Not quite as dominant as he was against the Springboks, but still a tidy performance, including another try as he pounced after Barrett’s brilliant tackle. 7

Scott Barrett stars

5 Scott Barrett: A superb read at the lineout paired with a thunderous hit showed both sides of Barrett’s game. He built on that brilliant start as he ran the lineout well both offensively and defensively and was abrasive with ball in hand. He even had the cheek to shush Nic White. A truly world-class performance. The backs outscored the pack four tries to two but make no mistake, the forwards set the platform for this win, and Barrett was the star of the show. 9

4 Brodie Retallick: Back to his usual high standard in recent weeks, and today was no different. He ticked all the boxes for a solid Test quality lock performance. 7

3 Tyrel Lomax: No fuss and just got the job done. He held his own and some in the scrum while making his tackles and clearing out rucks. 7

2 Codie Taylor: Another solid game from the veteran hooker who was one of the All Blacks’ busiest tacklers while he was on the pitch, making 14 without missing. He took his try well, too and made good yardage with his carries. 7

1 Ethan de Groot: The prop’s stocks continue to rise after yet another strong performance where he landed several hefty hits, got the better of Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou and won a turnover – making a great case as the best loosehead in the game. 8

Replacements: The All Blacks ran away with the game in the second half, and a lot of that has to do with the performances from the bench. Samisoni Taukei’aho, Luke Jacobson, Sam Whitelock and Anton Lienert-Brown were the standouts. 8

READ MORE: Impressive All Blacks once again claim Rugby Championship title after dominant win over Wallabies

Australia Aaron Smith Ardie Savea Beauden Barrett Brodie Retallick Codie Taylor Dalton Papalii Ethan de Groot Jordie Barrett

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