2019 Rugby World Cup: Michaela Blyde - The All Blacks' best fullback is not Beauden Barrett

Beauden Barrett celebrates a try with brother Jordie Barrett. Photo / Photosport

COMMENT:

Michaela Blyde

Jordie Barrett looks to be one of the big movers in the All Blacks World Cup plans.

It's difficult to say how the cancellation of the game against Italy will affect the chances of the fringe players.

But I believe Jordie Barrett is the next cab off the rank at fullback, a slightly more important subject after it was revealed his brother has an injury.

It was a big surprise to find out that Beauden Barrett has been playing on a lower leg injury.

There were no rumours about it to my knowledge – the first I heard of it was after the game against Namibia.

It was certainly hard to spot. He's obviously someone who can be at 75 per cent and still appear to do his job as if fully fit.

But had the Italian game gone ahead, there's a big chance Beauden would have been rested which would have given us an interesting insight into what All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen sees as the fullback pecking order.
We can assume Beauden will be good for the playoff games but if he isn't then Jordie is the player I would expect to come it at fullback because he is playing with bit more flair than Ben Smith.

And I wouldn't rule out him forcing his way into the team anyway, unlikely as that may seem.

Beauden Barrett celebrates a try with brother Jordie Barrett. Photo / Photosport

To me, Jordie is probably an even better fullback than Beauden who is more of a first five-eighth.

Jordie does have the skills to play at No 10, and he showed some of them against Namibia. He has a really good and consistent pass to both sides.

But down the track, I would like to see him given the chance to play one position, rather than being moved around a lot as is the case now.

Jordie plays a bit like his older brother – they both identify the space in front of them well – with one big difference being that Beaudie is about six foot tall and Jordie seems like eight foot tall. That gives him a bit of an advantage in the air at fullback.

The Beauden Barrett-Richie Mo'unga combination is working very well so I'm not suggesting that Hansen will break that up.

But by the same token, I wouldn't rule out Jordie Barrett out. The brotherly link would make it a great combination.

Of the other players, Brad Weber might be one of the losers from the Italian game being cancelled.

There's no doubt that Aaron Smith is our number one halfback. But Weber is putting up some sort of a challenge to TJ Perenara, the incumbent bench halfback.

Weber has a really compact game and he is a superb passer. He was worth extended time against Italy to be given a really good chance to show what he can do.