Have faith, Beauden Barrett will show up for the All Blacks when it matters

Beauden Barrett’s form matters as much as today’s weather in six month’s time as far as the All Blacks are concerned.

There is no need to fall victim to the prisoner of the moment, short-term view that somehow one of the all-time greats at 32 years old will miss this year’s World Cup.

Skills don’t disappear overnight, neither does experience. This is a 100-Test All Black with a body that, touch wood, rarely gets injured.

There have been the head knocks, but no knees or serious muscles injuries which is an incredible feat in itself to stay healthy.

Barrett’s engine needs a tune up in September to peak in November, not April. Until then he should be cruising along at half speed to stay fresh and keep a low mileage.

Against the Hurricanes in early March he made a grand total of 0 tackles from 0 attempts, which from New Zealand Rugby’s point of view was perfect.

There is no need to burn out or injure one of the All Blacks’ most important players before it really matters.

Ireland have made the smart decision. Johnny Sexton’s boots will barely touch grass until the World Cup following the Six Nations Grand Slam.

It would be wise to put Barrett and a host of others on ice too, but there is a Rugby Championship to get through and NZR can’t completely destroy Super Rugby Pacific.

Barrett can be trusted to find form when it matters as he has been through this before.

Following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where Barrett won two man-of-the-match awards against South Africa and Ireland at fullback, he went on extended leave.

He wasn’t supposed to play in New Zealand in 2020 but the pandemic disrupted those plans.

He turned up to the Blues lighter than before and got himself on the pitch but he didn’t tear teams apart like he used to.

There were classy touches but he looked on the wrong side of 30 for the first time. His form with the All Blacks was similar. Still good, but not the player that everyone was used to.

Then he went to Japan.

He came back from his stint with the Suntory Sungoliath after re-finding his running game, with an extra gear of speed that had been missing. He put back on more muscle and bolstered his frame again.

He went straight back into Test rugby with the All Blacks and won back the starting 10 role with Mo’unga taking extended leave.

Against South Africa on the Gold Coast he skinned Handre Pollard with pace and set up one of the tries of the season to Ardie Savea.

In his 100th Test he bagged two predatory intercept tries in a 50-point thrashing against Wales.

His head knock derailed the Ireland test early, which the All Blacks went on to lose, and he was absent for next week’s crushing defeat against France.

In 2022 the Blues went on a 15-game winning streak with Barrett back at 10 running hard at the line and breaking tackles once again.

Barrett will peak when it matters, which is when the All Blacks play France in pool play and likely one of Ireland or South Africa in a quarter-final.

The whispers are Galthie's World Cup plan involves France kicking everything and running high line, outside-in rush defence like South Africa in 2019.

If France want to play like South Africa that is music to Barrett's ears. He has a 12-3-1 record in All Blacks teams that have played the Springboks.

From Ellis Park in 2013, Durban in 2016, the 57-0 slaughtering in 2017, to the 2019 pool match in Japan, his fingerprints have been all over those results. He has unequivocally been the Boks' daddy.

France too, have copped it from the All Blacks with Barrett playing. He has never lost a Test match to France, winning eight from eight.

Those big physical teams don't want to see Barrett on the field. They will want to kick to him even less so.

The old adage is cliche but must be repeated: form is temporary, class is permanent.

Don't worry about Beauden Barrett's form in Super Rugby Pacific. When the All Blacks need him, he'll be there.