‘Mole’ Jordie Barrett seeks to ‘steal’ Ireland’s secrets as All Blacks star quips about main reason for Leinster switch
Leinster and New Zealand centre Jordie Barrett, and All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson.
Leinster’s new addition Jordie Barrett has quipped that he aims to steal their secrets and take it back to New Zealand after his six months in Dublin has ended.
Earlier this year, the 27-year-old made the unique decision to spend his sabbatical in Ireland after signing a new long-term contract with New Zealand Rugby.
All Blacks stars usually prefer to head to Japan when experiencing rugby overseas, which was what his brother, Beauden, chose to do after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Jordie has decided to take a different route, however, leading to the question of why he wanted to go down that path.
‘You’re essentially a mole’
The star centre appeared on Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy show to discuss his start to life in the Irish capital and host Scotty Stevenson joked: “Let’s be honest Jordie, you’re essentially a mole. You’ve gone there to steal all that info and bring it back here.
Barrett played along and quipped: “Exactly”, before adding that “we’ve said too much going the other way, so I can try and bring some home!”
On a more serious note, Leinster contain the majority of the Ireland team so naturally Barrett will learn plenty about their systems, which could prove beneficial for both him and the All Blacks going forward.
However, Barrett believes that the nature of rugby nowadays means that information is constantly being shared and that it is therefore always a challenge to stay ahead of the competition.
“The way world rugby has moved in the past dozen years, there are international players and coaches all over the place,” he said.
“Intel, everyone’s got access to it, and everyone understands different styles and ways of thinking, and ways teams are trying to play.
“I guess it’s about trying to work out what’s next, be ahead of the game and ultimately try and have a couple of good years while other teams are trying to catch up. The game is evolving, it’s changing every year.”
Enemies become friends
Barrett made his Leinster debut on Sunday, scoring a try and creating another as they secured a 35-12 victory over Bristol Bears.
He played alongside several players who not that long ago he was in opposition when the All Blacks took on Ireland in the Autumn Nations Series
“It’s certainly interesting, particularly when we played these boys two or three weeks earlier and you’re running around trying to knock them over,” he added.
“These Irish players are great blokes and once you get on the same team as them, you learn to like them a whole lot more.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of it. It’s going to be an exciting wee transition going forward.”
