Super Rugby Pacific: Five takeaways from Blues v Waratahs as Beauden Barrett continues to shine

David Skippers
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Beauden Barrett

Blues Beauden Barrett during the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final rugby match between the Auckland Blues and the Canterbury Crusaders at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (AAP Image/Brett Phibbs/via Photosport) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY ** STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE, NO BOOKS **

Following the Blues’ 55-21 triumph over the Waratahs in Auckland on Saturday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the action.

Beauden Barrett’s resurgence continues

The Blues fly-half made a slow start to the season as he delivered several underwhelming performances during Super Rugby’s earlier rounds, and he received plenty of criticism in New Zealand.

However, the 31-year-old showed in the Blues‘ previous game against the Rebels that he still has what it takes to perform at this level, and he continued where he left off in that game with a polished all-round display against the Waratahs.

Barrett was in superb form as he caught the eye with a brilliant assist in the build-up to Zarn Sullivan’s first try, and his playmaking skills also set up try-scoring opportunities for other team-mates.

He was a constant threat on attack and eventually gained 51 metres from seven runs and also impressed with his goal-kicking as he took over those responsibilities from Stephen Perofeta – who left the field due to injury in the first half – and finished with a 12-point haul courtesy of six conversions.

Blues forwards set up a solid platform for their backs

A big reason for the Blues’ dominance was the performance of their forwards, who came to the fore with an excellent performance which laid the groundwork for their victory.

Although they were without regular captain and star openside flanker Dalton Papalii, the Auckland-based side were well led by stand-in captain and fellow All Black Patrick Tuipulotu. The second-row was in the thick of the action alongside the likes of Ricky Riccitelli and Hoskins Sotutu, who caught the eye with strong attacking performances.

The Blues also held an edge over the Waratahs in the scrums while Papalii’s replacement Adrian Choat, Sotutu and Anton Segner made a big impact at the breakdowns and won several turnovers.

With their forwards in fine form, the Blues’ backs had a field day as they had plenty of possession, and ultimately players like Mark Telea, Sullivan and Caleb Clarke gained good attacking metres, and the latter duo were also rewarded with tries for their efforts.

Australian teams’ woes against New Zealand counterparts continue

One of the big drawbacks of Super Rugby Pacific is the difference in class between sides from the various trans-Tasman clubs, and this fixture showed, once again, that Australian teams still have a long way to go to match their New Zealand counterparts.

Prior to this match, the New Zealand teams won 12 out of 13 matches against Australian opposition and that poor record continued as the Blues also put the Waratahs to the sword.

Ultimately, the visitors were like lambs to the slaughter as the home side held the upper-hand in most departments, and with the Blues outscoring the Waratahs by seven tries to three, it sealed a deserved victory.

Waratahs defence at sixes and sevens

The visitors were under the cosh from the outset as the Blues hit the ground running and raced into a 20-7 lead at half-time after having a bulk of the possession and territory.

The Blues ran in two tries during the opening half, and if truth be told, the Sydneysiders did well not to concede more during that period as the hosts dominated most facets of play.

Things went from bad to worse for the Waratahs in the second half as they lost their defensive shape, and the Blues made full use of the attacking opportunities as they eventually scored five more tries after half-time and sealed an emphatic victory. Waratahs boss Darren Coleman and defence coach Jason Gilmore have plenty to work on if they want to improve in that department.

Few positives for the Waratahs

Apart from their poor defensive effort, there was little to crow about for the Waratahs as they struggled to impose themselves on their opponents, who dominated most facets of play.

For long periods, the Waratahs battled to gain possession, and the few times when they had the ball, they failed to play at the right end of the field. And when they did that, they inevitably committed some unforced errors, which led to turnovers.

The Waratahs’ backs looked like they were keen to impress, but they had few opportunities to shine because their forwards were dominated by the home side.

The likes of Izaia Perese, Max Jorgensen and Dylan Pietsch are brilliant attackers and showed glimpses of their abilities, but those opportunities were few and far between. They looked dangerous in the game’s latter stages, but by that time, the match was a loose affair as the Blues had already secured the result by then.

READ MORE: WATCH: Beauden Barrett with superb try assist in Blues’ victory over Waratahs

Blues Beauden Barrett

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