Ex-All Black reveals how ‘competitor’ Beauden Barrett can ‘stake his claim’ for Tests by shining in Stormers clash
All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett and ex-New Zealand hooker James Parsons (inset).
James Parsons believes Beauden Barrett can strengthen his chances of earning an All Blacks Test recall if he shines in their South African tour opener against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday.
New Zealand kick off their six-week tour against the Stormers at the DHL Stadium and during the All Blacks’ 44-man squad announcement last week, head coach Dave Rennie revealed that the matchday squads for the first four matches in South Africa have already been selected and that experienced playmaker Barrett will start in Friday’s encounter.
The 35-year-old, who is a two-time World Rugby Player of the Year, has represented New Zealand in 144 Tests and shared the All Blacks’ fly-half duties with Damian McKenzie in 2024 and 2025 during Scott Robertson’s reign as the three-time world champions’ head coach.
Barrett was overlooked for Nations Championship Tests
Robertson was replaced by Rennie at the start of this year and the new coach left Barrett out of all three of his matchday squads during last month’s Nations Championship victories against France, Italy and Ireland.
Ruben Love was selected to start at fly-half for all the aforementioned Tests while McKenzie did duty at full-back in those matches.
Barrett, Love, McKenzie and Josh Jacomb were the four number 10s selected in the All Blacks’ squad for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa.
Former All Blacks and Blues hooker Parsons believes Barrett will be determined to make full use of his opportunity against the Stormers and prove to Rennie that he can still do a job as the All Blacks’ starting fly-half.
“Beauden’s mindset will be he’s getting that 10 jersey back. He’s a competitor and that’s what he’s going for. What can he show to Dave Rennie is, I suppose, for him, this is his first opportunity under this new game-plan,” he told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Because if you think of Beauden Barrett’s DNA, this will suit him. It’s a little bit off the cuff. It’s about injecting yourself into the game. It’s about double touches. It’s not too structured.
“It may free him up and give him the opportunities to say, ‘Hey, remember me? I can do a job. And guess what? I’ve won at Ellis Park quite a few times and I know what the cauldron’s like’.
“And again, building his confidence within this new game-plan is important to say if an injury does happen, he’ll slot back in there with confidence and belief in his ability to execute.
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“So, I think it’s important on two factors for him to stake his claim, but also for him internally to show people he’s still got it.”
Ex-Crusaders scrum-half Bryn Hall agreed and feels Barrett will be highly motivated to do well against the Stormers.
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“To be ready as well. Do you know what I mean? I think you talk around Dave Rennie and all the messaging when he has to come to Beaudie, he’s been carving this up. He’s been really well,” he said.
Has been mentoring other players
“He’s been great as a mentor for talk around selflessness that we’ve just touched on for Ruben and being able to be there with Damian.
“So, his presence and what he brings to the All Black environment off the field has probably been really important and has been probably a massive part of why Ruben has played so well and probably Damian has played so well because of what he’s done off the field.
“But I think the internal competitor that he is, he doesn’t play that many Test matches without being a competitor.
“So he’ll be seeing that this first Test match probably against the Stormers, he’s going to get a crack to, I guess, get a bit of rhythm and be able to show them within this new attacking game-plan that would really probably excite him, right?
“With how we’ve probably seen how they do play an open and expansive game.
“So there’s a lot to play for for Beaudie, especially if there are injuries, then he gets a good performance against the Stormers and it’s like, ‘Hey, I mean, I’ve trained really well. I’ve gone out and been able to play a really good game against the Stormers’.
“And then, he also has the experience of being in these big Test matches against the South Africans in the past as well.”
