Beauden Barrett at full-back for Blues, Dan Carter misses out as Super Rugby returns to Sky Sports
Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks off with Highlanders vs Chiefs on June 13 and Blues vs Hurricanes on June 14, live on Sky Sports
Friday 12 June 2020 10:06, UK
All of the second guessing about where Beauden Barrett would play for the Blues ended on Friday, two days ahead of their opening Super Rugby Aotearoa clash with the Hurricanes, with Barrett placed as full-back - for now.
Barrett will make his debut for the Blues against his former team on Sunday at Eden Park as professional rugby makes its return following the COVID-19 shutdown.
"We're mindful that Beaudy is an outstanding first five (fly-half)," Blues coach Leon MacDonald told reporters on Friday. "That's not lost on us. But he's also a world-class full-back as well and we need that hole filled."
Barrett had been signed by the Blues as a fly-half, a position where he spent nine seasons with the Hurricanes and from which he won two World Player of the Year awards.
The 29-year-old, however, spent much of last season as full-back for the All Blacks as then coach Steve Hansen used two playmakers in his team with Richie Mo'unga playing in the pivotal number 10 jersey.
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With Otere Black playing superbly at fly-half for the Blues before the shutdown and all-time All Blacks great Dan Carter also signing with the team, there had been speculation as to where Barrett might play on the field.
A foot injury to Stephen Perofeta, however, allowed MacDonald to slot Barrett in at full-back, giving him time to adjust to his new team, the game, and the occasion.
"At some point he will be in the front line, but right now this is the best fit for our team, the situation, where he's at in terms of his integration back into rugby and the fact it's his first game for the Blues," MacDonald said. "Then, in time, we'll probably see him move forward."
Savea 'roaring' to return
Meanwhile, All Blacks loose forward Ardie Savea will make his comeback from knee reconstruction surgery on Sunday, named on the bench for the Eden Park clash.
Savea injured his knee during the Rugby World Cup in Japan last October, and did not play in Super Rugby before it was shut down in mid-March.
"I'm really excited to see him unleashed," Hurricanes lock Scott Scrafton told reporters. "He hasn't played for a long time, but at training he has been roaring. I know he's ready."
Hurricanes coach Jason Holland said they were well aware of Barrett's game-breaking ability but he also fired a shot at the two-time World Player of the Year.
"We know how Beaudy plays," Holland said. "We have seen him play really well for the Hurricanes and seen him play poorly for the Hurricanes, so we have an idea about how we can put him under pressure."
Holland added that Barrett's younger brother Jordie, who has already been ruled out of the match with an "unstable shoulder", was a "day-by-day" decision on when he might play in the 10-week competition.
"We just have to make sure that he gets that rehabbed properly," Holland added. "We're not risking him. "Hopefully he's good to go next week."
Officials were predicting an almost full house at Eden Park on Sunday having sold more than 34,000 tickets by Thursday.
Super Rugby Aotearoa, the first professional rugby union competition to resume and the first sports event to have no crowd restrictions since the COVID-19 lockdown, starts on Saturday when the Highlanders host Warren Gatland's Chiefs live on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30am.
Blues: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock, 1 Alex Hodgman, 2 James Parsons, 3 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 5 Josh Goodhue, 6 Tom Robinson, 7 Blake Gibson, 8 Hoskins Sotutu.
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Gerad Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Dalton Papalii, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.
Hurricanes: 15 Chase Tiatia, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 9 TJ Perenara (co-captain), 1 Fraser Armstrong, 2 Dane Coles (co-captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 James Blackwell, 5 Scott Scrafton, 6 Reed Prinsep, 7 Du'Plessis Kirifi, 8 Gareth Evans.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Tevita Mafileo, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Vaea Fifita, 21 Ardie Savea, 22 Jamie Booth, 23 Billy Proctor.
