'Please stop' - Wellington crowd criticised by anti-boo brigade online for their treatment of Beauden Barrett
Beauden Barrett's first game in Wellington since leaving the Hurricanes was always going to draw the ire of his former hometown crowd.
The former Hurricanes first five was building a career as one of the club's all-time greats, perhaps their best ever player, before leaving to take up an irresistible deal with the Blues.
Despite their individual feats, legends Ma'a Nonu, Jerry Collins, Tana Umaga and Christian Cullen all failed to bring a championship to the club. Beauden Barrett was integral in securing the inaugural Super Rugby title in 2016, and became the face of the franchise.
There was no player more central to the Hurricanes team than Barrett, so his sudden departure at the peak of his career to another New Zealand Super Rugby club was an understandably emotional split.
The Hurricanes' fans in attendance at Sky Stadium welcomed Barrett in typical fashion, and would not stop booing anytime their former hero touched the ball and the boos intensified as Barrett took over the kicking duties late in the second half.
This expected response did not go down well with overseas fans, who lambasted the Wellington crowd for their efforts calling them 'embarrassing' and 'pathetic'. The anti-boo brigade lead the charge on Twitter calling for the booing to stop.
Barrett answered the booing with a brilliant solo try 10 minutes into the game, fittingly his first for the Blues, by slicing straight through the middle of the Hurricanes defence and using his speed to gas the cover defence.
However this did nothing to stop the crowd's efforts to make the Blues fullback know how they feel.
Not everyone was upset with the crowd's response, with others seeing the lighter side of the crowd's behaviour.
In the end, chants of 'Jordie, Jordie, Jordie' rained down for the younger Barrett as he lined up a potential clutch conversion from the sideline to put the Hurricanes up by two with minutes remaining.
The Hurricanes' fullback answered the calls with a brilliant kick to spark wild celebrations by the home crowd as they went up 29-27.
A rather dubious decision to let the Hurricanes get away with a back peddling scrum on the final play robbed Beauden of a potential long-range penalty goal shot to steal the game back in injury time.
TJ Perenara was able to clear the ball into touch and secure the Hurricanes third straight victory.
Beauden Barrett's first game back in Wellington ended with a tight loss but it likely won't be the last time he is booed at the Caketin.
One just has to remember how the New Zealand crowds treated Quade Cooper with the boos lasting years before they died out after the infamous knee on Richie McCaw in a Brisbane Bledisloe Cup match.
If that is anything to go by, Beauden will have to get used to rough receptions in New Zealand's capital.
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Springboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
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