All Blacks: Beauden Barrett is not a poor goal kicker

All Blacks first five Beauden Barrett attempts a penalty kick during the second test. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Lions would love to believe that the All Blacks have a problem with their goalkicking.

They would love to think that Beauden Barrett is coming to Eden Park a bag of nerves, plagued by demons and ready to shut his eyes, hoof it and hope.

Is he jittery? Is he likely, with such high stakes, to let nerves sweep through him and spray the ball anywhere but where he meant it to go?

A few New Zealanders will have their doubts, too, about Barrett's goalkicking after he missed three from ten in Wellington, two of which had a relatively low difficulty factor even in treacherous conditions.

But no one in the All Blacks camp is worried. They have every faith in Barrett and why wouldn't they?

In the first test he was 100 per cent - striking the ball magnificently and knocking them over from tight spots. He can do it. He can kick well under pressure.

Barrett is not a bad goal kicker, but perception is locking in to the contrary. It may be because he hasn't kicked regularly in Super Rugby this year. It's probably got something to do with the fact he had a few tests last year where he missed a few he really shouldn't have.

Kiwis love to fret so in the absence of genuine competition, it became proper sport to hypothesise that one day goal kicking would cost the All Blacks.

Barrett it seems, for all his brilliance, can't or won't be fully celebrated until he can find a way to convince the masses he can be trusted to knock the ball between the sticks.

Dan Carter built a reputation as being unflappable as a goal kicker. His legend was founded on his consistency, accuracy and, whether it was justified or not, proven record to kick well under pressure.

Carter won the All Blacks big games with his boot and Barrett probably needs a breakthrough test where he does the same.

An iconic game where he nails the victory by holding his nerve from the touchline is what he needs to change popular thinking because the reality as it stands is not being widely absorbed.

According to the statistics from the test series so far, Barrett is the best goal kicker involved. The Lions pin-pointed the All Blacks' goalkicking as a potential weakness before the tour and highlighted their own as a strength.

Yet after two tests, Barrett's success ratio in the series is 81 per cent - which is the mythical, aspirational figure all good, regular kickers aim for.

If they can knock over 80 per cent of their kicks per game, they go home happy.

In contrast, Owen Farrell's success rate on this tour has been 71 per cent.

The Lions midfielder kicked well on Saturday night - but he couldn't convert Taulupe Faletau's try from the far touchline.

He wasn't able to convert Sean O'Brien's try in the first test either and given that he pulled wide a reasonably simple penalty against the Highlanders at a critical stage in the game, there is more reason to question the temperament and ability of Farrell as a goal kicker than there is Barrett's.

"I'm not worried about his goalkicking at all," said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen about Barrett. "Games are won and lost with goalkicking - but they are also won by players doing a job from one to 23. And tonight the Lions did their job better than we did.

"He kicked 100 per cent last time out [in New Zealand's 30-15 first test win], so no, I'm not concerned."