Rugby: What to do with Barrett's goalkicking?

Beauden Barrett lines up a kick at goal. Photo / Brett Phibbs

It would seem that the All Blacks have an obvious way to improve Beauden Barrett's goalkicking during the Rugby Championship, which is to hand the duties to his younger brother Jordie.

That's an obvious scenario brewing as Ben Smith won't play beyond the first two tests, paving the way for Barrett junior to come into the team at fullback. If Barrett senior hasn't kicked so well in the Bledisloe series, no problem, let junior, take over.

Jordie kicks for the Hurricanes and his technique looks smoother, more reliable and his accuracy more consistent. It makes sense to imagine he can assume the same role with the All Blacks and yet it's not really a wise option. It would effectively be avoiding the issue rather than dealing with it because the All Blacks need Beauden rather than Jordie to be their preferred goalkicking option.

Project forward and it's as close to a certainty as these things can be that Barrett senior will be the All Blacks No 10 through to the 2019 World Cup and possibly beyond. Any key game in the next three years and Barrett, if he's fit, is going to start at No 10.

The same can't be said of Jordie and the safest path for the All Blacks is to assume that Beauden will regularly be the only recognised goalkicker they have on the field. For that reason alone, he has to keep kicking in tests as that is the only place where he can test his technique under pressure.

And that's his problem when it comes to kicking - he has a slight flaw in his technique that occasionally sees him not follow through and makes him prone to pulling the ball.

Much has been made of Barrett senior's goalkicking since he became the All Blacks first choice first-five this time last year. His overall numbers aren't so bad. He kicked at 70 per cent during last year's Rugby Championship, a figure which climbed to 86 per cent on the end of year tour. Against the Lions he finished the series with a 75 per cent success rate, which was in line with Owen Farrell who landed 76 per cent of his kicks and yet Barrett has been the subject of endless debate as to whether his goalkicking inaccuracy cost the All Blacks their chance of victory.

The problem is he's inconsistent rather than routinely bad and that's what he has to fix in the Rugby Championship. There is also the other issue that if and presumably when Barrett junior comes into the team, he needs time and space to settle and the burden of being the goalkicker may be too much.

"Why Jordie didn't kick is he was playing his first test match," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said after the third test against the Lions. "People who haven't played or coached at that level have no idea how much pressure a young bloke is under. It's one thing to play the game but to have to come out and kick the goals it can be crippling. We still have faith in Beauden and had faith in him that night.

"Unfortunately he didn't quite get the job done but he's a world-class player and I'm sure he'll be better for the experience."