Sir Steve Hansen has explained why Beauden Barrett was vital in the All Blacks\u2019 free-flowing Bledisloe Cup display against the Wallabies on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The playmaker started both matches against their trans-Tasman rivals at full-back, shining as they came away with a couple of big victories, but he particularly impressed at Accor Stadium.<\/p>\n
Barrett<\/a> was quiet in the opening half at Eden Park but came to the fore after the break and took that momentum into the second clash in Sydney.<\/p>\n That is where the 35-year-old truly excelled as New Zealand<\/a> claimed a 43-21 triumph over Australia, which secured a 2-0 series success.<\/p>\n His upturn in form comes after a difficult Super Rugby Pacific campaign and an underwhelming South Africa tour where he struggled against the URC franchises.<\/p>\n Why Beauden Barrett is so good<\/p>\n On the Rugby Unity podcast, Hansen<\/a> and former Wallabies head coach Ewen McKenzie discussed his performance on Saturday after his struggles prior to the Bledisloe Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of those tour games in South Africa he wasn\u2019t great, he was playing at 10 well behind the advantage line, so he didn\u2019t have the same flow when Love was playing there \u2013 the comparison, I could see where that was,\u201d McKenzie said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe guy\u2019s been around for a long time so he can pick his moments. That was a midweek game, probably not as exciting as the other 147 Tests he\u2019s played, but you put him in the big moment and he comes to the fore.\u201d<\/p>\n Hansen then chimed in and discussed how Barrett\u2019s communication skills and rugby intelligence, something he states \u201cyou can\u2019t buy\u201d, were so crucial to the All Blacks\u2019 performance at the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cHe played really well the week before, but the thing you can\u2019t underestimate this week is he marshalled those two boys (Timoci Tavatavanawai and Rieko Ioane) in midfield,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you just take the time to watch him for 10 or 15 minutes, he\u2019s talking all the time. He\u2019s helping the 10, the 12, the 13 make good decisions.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he needs to he will step up and take one or two passes from Roigard, just to take the pressure off the others.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was pretty close to getting another one too, he burst onto another one from inside his goal-line and he just dropped it onto his foot.\u201d<\/p>\n