In July, Steve Borthwick’s England team came to Auckland, posing a significant danger to New Zealand’s amazing undefeated record at Eden Park.
A week later, the All Blacks were involved in another intense drama after narrowly defeating the same opponent by one point in Dunedin.
Coach Scott Robertson’s tenure as All Blacks’ manager may have begun with one defeat and one victory from two Test matches during the July internationals if it weren’t for a masterpiece from Beauden Barrett off the pine.
It was a throwback effort that brought back memories of Barrett’s consecutive Player of the Year awards from World Rugby. A clear winner of Player of the Match was identified from the 24–17 victory thanks to some precise kicking around the field of play, astute defensive play and a spotless pair of heels.
In the tenth minute of that Test, Mark Tele’a scored the first try, and Damian McKenzie then converted. Throughout the remainder of the first term, McKenzie added two more penalties, but the visitors led 14–13 at the half thanks to two England tries.
Eight minutes into the second session, Marcus Smith made a successful attempt on goal, giving England a 17–14 lead and adding three more points to their lead. For another twelve minutes, no goals were scored, and it appeared that the Eden Park audience was growing more anxious.
However, when the time comes, the man will arrive.
Beauden Barrett came on as a replacement in the 49th minute, and he was the hero that New Zealand needed—not just for the All Blacks at this point, but also for the country and the unbridled passion that goes into rugby union.
As the Auckland fans continued to support the All Blacks in their quest for a comeback, there were a few kicks that made them noticeably enthusiastic. Around the 60th minute, Barrett ran between Freddie Steward and Maro Itoje in a linebreak that was his most impressive offensive play.
The All Blacks had a lead they wouldn’t give up for the remainder of the evening as Barrett sent Tele’a over for his second touchdown of the game. However, the hosts only led 18–17 after a missed conversion, so the last quarter was extremely nerve-racking for all fans.
It appeared that Barrett had the ball on a string and could do no wrong with his amazing double kick, which involved kicking the ball once, chasing it, and then instantly placing boot to ball. Fans wearing black jerseys and the players surrounding him gained confidence as the replacement did.
Barrett also made a spectacular tackle to keep England captain Jamie George from crossing the try line on the defensive end of the ball. Despite their best efforts, the English were unable to score any more points that evening; Barrett’s brilliant play led to a thrilling seven-point victory.
Following that Test, Sir John Kirwan stated on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown, “He came on last night, there are a couple of things to take into consideration.” He was excellent, and opposition players are worn out when impact players come off the bench.
“This guy is top-notch; he accomplished that in 2015, but let’s return to the first five points of discussion. Beauden, who has been our fullback, hasn’t played there in a few years.
“It took Daniel Carter a couple of years to really grab the squad and say, ‘It’s mine,’ and we came very close to winning a World Cup. He suffered a loss in 2007 and an injury in 2011, but Mo’unga has been incredible since then.
“You can’t simply say, ‘That’s it,’ following two Test matches. Does Damian McKenzie need to get better at kicking? He’ll be aware of it, yes. Does he need to speak a little louder? They’ll know that, I don’t know what it was like on the sidelines.
“But if we are going to commit to someone for the next three years, you’ve got to stick with him. It’s the only position in the world I believe where you need to do that. Like the quarterback in the NFL, they’ve got to have complete trust. You feel when you are not trusted.
“His kicking game is the main reason why his first two Test matches haven’t lived up to our expectations.”
In 2024, Barrett was frequently deployed as the All Blacks’ second-choice starting five-eighth since McKenzie was frequently given the keys of playmaking. However, “Beaudy” took over during the Bledisloe Cup Series, bringing about a change of leadership.
At the World Rugby Awards in Monaco, however, McKenzie was named the finest No. 10 of the year by World Rugby for his outstanding play throughout the most of the year, including his Player of the Match performance during the All Blacks’ victory against Ireland in Dublin while Barrett was out.
