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A great return from injury from Berrick Barnes in the past two weeks has seen the NSW Waratah picked in the preliminary 25-man Wallabies squad for the British Lions Tour.
A lot of people are scratching their heads at this decision, but he truly does deserve to be there and will be an important component of the Wallabies squad.
Used by Michael Cheika as an impact player off the bench Barnes has been just that, leading the Waratahs to two crucial victories over the Stormers and the Australian Conference leading Brumbies, two wins that will keep the Waratahs season alive.
In his first game back from injury Barnes replaced Bernard Foley and was able to set up a match winning try for Israel Folau in the dying stages.
His influence in the next game against the Brumbies was much more damaging. He replaced inside centre Rob Horne at half-time with NSW trailing 13-6.
While it wasn’t a bad game for Horne, the Waratahs needed an extra playmaker and Barnes was just that.
Barnes’ ability to break the game open was paramount, as he was able to score a try after bursting through the line and also set up a try for open side flanker Michael Hooper.
Most importantly however is Barnes’ tactical kicking game, which NSW seemed to struggle with in the first half.
As even though they had most of the possession, the territory and Brumbies pressure led to their half time deficit.
In the second half however Barnes’ kicking game helped the Waratahs get out of dangerous territory and really spring boarded them in attack.
Another thing that is important to remember is that Barnes’ can play a variety of roles within a team his talents to be able to play a multiple amount of positions will benefit the Wallabies greatly.
Without Quade Cooper in the squad for now, Deans would have been thinking of adding a playmaker to help O’Connor out, with their only other option at the moment being Christian Leali’ifano who hasn’t even played a game for the Wallabies yet, and didn’t play the second half after injuring himself.
Don’t underestimate experience, Barnes has 50 caps for the Wallabies and with a continuation of form expect him to add to that tally.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.