Gregor Paul: Beauden Barrett's 'unlikely' last great act

Beauden Barrett of the All Blacks looks on during The Rugby Championship match between the Argentina Pumas and the New Zealand All Blacks. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

OPINION:

What the world has seen of Beauden Barrett has been brilliant, but what's to come could be even better.

Maybe that's too hard a sell for some, who can't believe Barrett will hold on to his starting spot for the remainder of this tour, yet alone the next two years of his contract.

It's also natural with Barrett having been selected to win his 100th cap this weekend, to want to look back, to see him for what he was rather than for what he could still be.

That's also because what he's been is easier to define and be sure about. In 99 tests, Barrett has been an outrageously gifted, creative footballer with the confidence to back himself to do the impossible.

There are talented players everywhere but what sets Barrett apart to some degree is that he's always been brave enough to try what others fear and that's why he's already locked himself into folklore as one of the most influential footballers New Zealand has produced.

But while it may seem an unlikely thought, it's by no means improbable to imagine that Barrett's career to date has been about paving the way for his last great act.

He's under contract for another two years and it would seem likely that his goal next year and in 2023 is to re-establish himself as the All Blacks preferred No 10 and reach the next World Cup in France as the undisputed best first-five on the planet.

He's offered up multiple versions of himself since 2012, dabbling in all sorts. He's been an impact player, a rip and run No 10, a fullback, and a second play-maker and no matter his role, he's managed to consistently produce acts of unforgettable genius.

Role by role he's added something to his portfolio and it may turn out that he's been on this memory-laden journey to collect all sorts of skills and experiences and now that he's reached that critical 100 cap mark, he'll begin the last stage of his career which will see him use everything in his locker to try to become the complete No 10.

Beauden Barrett. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

In essence Barrett's last mission is to establish himself as a great No 10 as opposed to what he most definitely already is – a great all round rugby player.

It's an ambitious goal certainly but Barrett has never been one to be intimidated by the enormity of a challenge.

Nor should he be, because while his career has followed a meandering path to this point, it's not purely been about him producing a collection of brilliant moments.

He's never fitted the classic No 10 mould, however, that's not prevented him from delivering classic No 10 performances.

His running game is often hard to see past, but from being an eclectic collection of skills when he first wore the No 10 shirt for the All Blacks in 2014, Barrett has learned how to piece all his many parts together and has matured into an astute tactician and effective game controller.

Against the Wallabies in Perth this year, there was subtlety and variation to his work. He fell a little deeper when he had to, so he could turn the Wallabies with his kicking game and when the All Blacks only had 14 men due to a wrongly shown red card, Barrett masterminded a brilliant 20 minutes where they were in control of the game.

That's the bit many don't see. He's become a smarter, more disciplined and strategic player now than he's ever been and arguably that's why the next two years may be his best.

Judging by other great No 10s, there seems to be a sweet spot where experience and agility are both in their peak zones: a brief window almost where the brain has captured much of what it needs to be a great tactician and the legs are still capable of reacting to what the eyes are seeing.

New Zealand's Jordie Barrett, left, is congratulated by teammate Beauden Barrett after scoring a try during the Rugby Championship. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Barrett is most likely entering this magical zone now. After 100 caps he's built the knowledge bank he needs about how to control a test and age has seemingly not managed to catch him yet and he still has his dynamic, electric running game.

The presence of Mo'unga will also be critical in this last stage of Barrett's career. The younger man has an army of admirers and many of his strengths, such as the speed and flow of his pass, are weaknesses in Barrett.

But that's precisely the sort of pressure he needs and just as he and Aaron Cruden drove the best out of Daniel Carter, so too will the presence of Mo'unga act as a powerful motivational force for Barrett.

Mo'unga will set the standards Barrett must surpass if he's to drive himself up and over what is the equivalent of Hilary's Step in his mission to return to being the All Blacks preferred No 10.