Five years ago, a youthful Beauden Barrett mesmerised Ireland in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport
Five years ago, a youthful Beauden Barrett mesmerised Ireland in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport
By Kate Rowan
When the Irish poet William Butler Yeats penned the words, "Transformed utterly: A terrible beauty is born" he was referring to rebellion and uprising.
Almost 100 years later the same words could have been applied to a rugby revolution that took the Irish as its first victims.
In June 2012, Ireland faced a three-test series in New Zealand against the newly anointed world champions.
The buzz was that the new All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen was going to throw "a few kids" in the mix with an eye to planning their World Cup defence three years later.
With Ireland in the grip of a deep recession, and the football team at Euro 2012, only eight Irish journalists made the trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud. I was one of them.
It was a miserable series for Ireland concluding in the "Hamilton Horror Show", a 60-0 record defeat after a "nearly" night in Christchurch with a 22-19 loss and losing 42-10 in the opener in Auckland.
That series had a similar rhythm in the first two tests to the current series against the Lions.
The All Blacks dominated the first and then appeared off-colour in the second, the crucial differences being Sonny Bill Williams seeing red and the Lions closing out the second.
Will the New Zealanders rage back to action for the third test as they did five years ago?
Hansen's "kids" were the "terrible beauty" that was instrumental in Ireland's eventual humiliation.
This group of All Blacks debutants included Aaron Smith, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, Beauden Barrett and Julian Savea.
Afterwards an Irish colleague likened the experience to a tour of duty in the Vietnam War, "you weren't there, man!" he would joke to others who hadn't made the trip.
So how was this "terrible beauty" born?
Five years ago the feeling was that "the young fellas" were taking part in an apprenticeship programme that seemed like a cross between a boarding school and a benevolent boot camp.
Hansen played the part of head teacher meets commanding officer while All Blacks captain Richie McCaw filled the role of head boy cum platoon sergeant.
After the media conference announcing the debuts of Retallick, Savea and Smith, McCaw was floating around the media area.
Steve Hansen names debutants, from left, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Aaron Smith and Ben Tameifuna ahead of the 2012 Ireland series. Photo / Photosport
A Kiwi journalist explained that the captain wanted to ensure the debutants were feeling comfortable.
The most animated McCaw appeared to the media the whole series was when he was asked about the performance of the new boys.
He spoke in detail of how he was spending time with fellow openside Sam Cane and then about the All Blacks leadership group helping to settle new caps.
From McCaw's body language their performance seemed to please him the most after the 60-0 win.
A then 21-year old Barrett was the third choice first-five and wasn't included in a match day squad until the third test, where he was named on the bench due to injury to Dan Carter. Little did he know, or did he?
Savea showed none of the gaucheness of the young man who faced the media when he scored a hat-trick in the first test at Eden Park.
Retallick demonstrated in that game what a complete second rower he was and Smith looked a natural inside Carter.
Yet there were whispers to keep an eye out for Barrett, one of eight children from rural Taranaki and the son of Kevin, an ex-professional rugby player and farmer.
The stereotypical 'Naki boy' combines surfer dude chill with the grounded attitude of one who has grown up on the land. And the Barrett of 2012 with his shaggy hair and fondness for Jandals embodied this.
After Cruden pulled up in Hamilton after 23 minutes Barrett made his entrance.
At this point the All Blacks had deployed shock and awe tactics, scoring four tries in the opening 22 minutes, Williams and Cruden created havoc for the Irish with some "unstructured rugby".
Barrett had quite the cushion coming off the bench but his performance was mesmerising. The further Ireland sank, the more one couldn't help but marvel at the young Hurricane.
Brodie Retallick showed what a complete second rower he was against Ireland in 2012. Photo / Photosport
At times he looked like a hybrid first five-fullback, his play was the very definition of "unstructured rugby". It looked instinctive, fearless and even risky but it was thought out.
The Barrett of 2017 is physically more imposing and has transitioned from being a spotty country boy to a polished global sporting superstar. Now two of his brothers, Scott and Jordie, are also All Blacks.
The constant is his breathless running game and distinctive style of punting.
His kicking may have let him down in Wellington last weekend but he has weathered previous blips from the kicking tee to establish himself as the best fly-half in the world.
What makes Barrett and 2012 debutants such an intriguing bunch is that, unlike their mentors, they only know Rugby World Cup success.
In contrast to Carter, McCaw, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Keven Mealamu they are unencumbered by the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit and tag of being nearly men.
It was that weight of expectation that pushed the New Zealanders over the line against France in the 2011 final. So, what is the motivation for this new breed?
