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The Brumbies must complete a Barrett-busting hat-trick if they are to produce a bold underdog triumph in the Super Rugby Pacific finals.
One down, two to go.
It is one of rugby’s most quirky obstacle courses. The Brumbies have seen off Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes) and have to deal with brother Beauden (Blues) in Saturday night’s semi-final at a hostile Eden Park.
Should they somehow topple BOTB (Best Of The Barretts), they will likely run into another brother, lock Scott (Crusaders), in the final.
Centre Jordie fell last weekend. Brumbies centre Irae Simone put on a little footwork to go by him on that neat run for the try that gave his team the lead for the first time in Canberra.
Flyhalf Beauden Barrett is an altogether more challenging hurdle. He remains one of the most watchable players in the game, a reason to turn on the TV or dive into a livestream. That’s just because of him.
His acceleration. His arcing runs and smile while skewering the opposition is magnetic.
It’s no illusion that he’s really coming good when it matters. He has scored four tries and dealt four try assists in the past three matches.
He is the player for the Brumbies to fear more than anyone and he radiates such assurance into his teammates. Every team likes to play with Superman and you saw how the Blues got around him when he potted that field goal after the full-time hooter to sink the Brumbies in Canberra last month.
Beauden Barrett of the Blues in action during the round 14 Super Rugby Pacific match between the ACT Brumbies and the Blues. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
You only get closer to shutting down Barrett if the Brumbies forwards dictate and disrupt so the defence gets a flying start to cutting down his time and space.
I spent a bit of time this week going through some Stan Sport Minis to refresh the mind on the best elements of the Brumbies this season.
The standout feature was how many individuals they have who are capable of stinging the opposition when their team patterns click.
We’ve mentioned the underrated Simone.
There was winger Tom Wright’s solo, stepping, swerving gem over 65m against the Crusaders. There was Rob Valetini on any number of occasions, including that audacious kick ahead and score against the Hurricanes.
Nic White on the scurry, Pete Samu making line breaks out wide, Tom Banks flicking on the afterburners, Noah Lolesio potting kicks at goal at 78 per cent, Darcy Swain pinching lineouts or charging down kicks, Scott Sio bursting ahead like he’s 21 again…
Those fierce, driving, rolling mauls from lineouts, under helmsman Folau Fainga’a, to score two tries against the Blues last time will have the men from Auckland sweating too.
Paul Cully from stuff.co.nz joins Brett McKay and Harry Jones to preview the SRP semis
The point is, the Brumbies are heading to Auckland with some weapons and plenty enough to dictate if they get things right.
We have all seen enough missions to Eden Park by the Wallabies to realise it is a graveyard. There’s slippery, skiddy grass under the lights even when it hasn’t rained for a fortnight.
No.8 Valetini is the key. His direct charges, not four or five but twice that number, are huge momentum.
He commits defenders, his post-contact metres are more meaningful than any other Australian player and when he hits, his targets feel it.
He’s emblematic of what the Brumbies are about.
The Brumbies use every backrower at their disposal over 80 minutes. Valetini, Samu, Tom Hooper and reserve pair Jahrome Brown and Luke Reimer cover all the bases.
There’s power running, edge running, ball thieving, tough tackling, edgy breakdown work, big defence and workrate in their combined DNA.
We all want to build a case for the Brumbies to have such a crack they are still in this one to the 80th minute.
It would be great to just throw egg at the sports bookies who rate them 13-point outsiders.
They are better than that after four wins over Kiwi sides this season.
To win at the Eden Park, they have to lead and apply the pressure. It’s not a cauldron where you win from behind.
One thing for certain, halfback White won’t be playing the quiet, retiring visitor. He picked up a loose ball and ran 60m against the Blues in Canberra. He’d love to find the tryline in Auckland. His mo would do a 360 if that happened.
It’s really Barrett v White in terms of playmakers.
No one kicks more, runs more, offloads more or deals more try assists in the Brumbies halves than White. It’s a balance that takes the load of young Lolesio. He can play his own game yet never feel the entire show is on his shoulders.
The Brumbies have done so much right this season. Dare to dream they have a chance at more.