All Black Sam Whitelock is set to return to the fold after the birth of his daughter Penelope.
Video / Supplied
OPINION:
At 1.97m and 117kg, Scott Barrett isn't the sort of figure that can be easily overlooked. And yet, he so often is.
It's partly because he's battling for recognition in a position where two of the best in New Zealand's history play and even a hulking great chunk ofa bloke like Barrett can struggle to have his moment in the sun with Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick around.
His light is also hidden under the bushel of his two brothers Beauden and Jordie, who for various reasons – mostly because they play in influential decision-making positions - tend to demand a greater media focus.
Scott is not so much the forgotten brother, but since making his test debut in 2016 – dramatically and unforgettably by scoring a spectacular solo try – he's not been able to win either a regular starting berth or a full appreciation of just how good he actually is.
That may all be about to change in the next month. September 2021 could be when the middle Barrett brother, through a four-test odyssey, establishes that he's a player with the physical gifts and mental determination to stand in comparison with the best locks in the world game.
All Blacks Scott Barrett (L) and All Black Beauden Barrett (R) during the NZ national anthem. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Covid-19, has conspired to present Barrett with a rare opportunity to be unleashed. Whitelock, having stayed in New Zealand for the birth of his third child, won't be available, best case, until the second test against the Springboks.
Barrett, on the other hand, will be available until the end of the Rugby Championship, after which he's hoping to return to New Zealand for the birth of his first child and, so, the All Blacks intend to milk every last drop out of him this month.
With another five tests to come on the end-of-year tour, head coach Ian Foster is conscious of the need to juggle his resources at lock. He'll lean on Barrett heavily now, run him hard and play him often and then tag him out for Whitelock.
It's a formula that seems likely to provide the best evidence yet that there is a world-class performer waiting to blossom and an opportunity for Barrett to change this long-held acceptance that he's number three in the locking pecking order.
Barrett was sensationally good in Perth last week and while he's not quite the same physically imposing specimen as Whitelock, he makes up for it to some degree with his greater athleticism, speed and mobility.
Barrett was the player that hurt the Wallabies most in Perth. When he wasn't hitting their ball carriers head-on, he was scrambling over the top of them to pinch the ball.
His other great gift is his ability to use the ball cleverly. He's a hard man, with soft hands and few locks in the world game are as capable at taking and giving a pass as Barrett.
Few know how to draw a defender and then release the ball in the split second before the collision and Barrett brings an all-court game that enables him to be as effective in ruck-and-run tests such as the one in Perth as it does the expected kick-and-crunch encounters that lie ahead with the Pumas and Boks.
(L-R) Nepo Laulala, David Havili, Richie Mo'unga, Anton Lienert-Brown, Brodie Retallick, Codie Taylor, Aaron Smith, Scott Barrett, Beauden Barrett. Photo / Getty Images.
The unknown, or unproven, part of his offering is whether he can consistently underpin his performances with disciplined, effective execution of his core roles.
The reason Whitelock and Retallick have been first choice for a decade is that they are coalface players. They both know that their primary requirement is to make their presence felt in collisions, move the dial at scrum time, and secure possession in the air.
Barrett hasn't yet proven he has the same reliability in that regard.
In 2017, when Retallick missed the second half of the season, Barrett wasn't able to impose himself and take the vacant locking spot.
That was a big opportunity for him to come of age but his rugby lacked consistency and impact in that period. He didn't, at that stage of his career, have the capacity to front against the best in the world and make them aware, fearful even, of his presence.
And then there have been a few wild moments that have erased a little confidence in his temperament.
There was the red card in Perth two years ago, but of more concern, was the yellow card last year in Brisbane when he slapped the ball out of Wallaby halfback Nic White's hands.
Those incidents have burdened Barrett with a sense of volatility – made some think that he's prone to irrational and unpredictable acts that will hurt his team.
September 2021 is his time to reset the record, present his credentials and leave no one in any doubt about how good he really is.
