Proven Test specialist Berrick Barnes’ chemistry with enigmatic playmaker Quade Cooper is set to give Australia the balance and composure required for the Rugby World Cup’s cut-throat stage.
In his first Wallabies start this year, Barnes lodged a compelling case for the problematic inside centre position with a starring hand in the 68-22 pool thumping of Russia in Nelson on Saturday.
He scored the first and last five-pointers in the 10-try rout, but it was his smart and accurate kicking and ball-playing that impressed as much ahead of this weekend’s quarter-finals.
Coach Robbie Deans has Pat McCabe (shoulder) and Anthony Faingaa (head knock) back available but it hasn’t been forgotten Australia’s best backline performances of the past 16 months came when Barnes partnered Cooper last year.
That union in convincing wins over England in Perth and France in Paris wasn’t expected to be reformed when the NSW Waratah’s career was clouded by footballer’s migraine this season.
“Berrick’s had his challenges in Super Rugby,” Deans said. “It’s well and truly historical now – he’s playing good rugby.”
Barnes’ kicking game, drop-goal ability and playmaking nous are key assets in sudden-death tournament rugby and Barnes believes his structured game complements the freakish ability of Cooper.
The pair first joined forces as young prodigies for the battling Queensland Reds in 2007 when Cooper acknowledged Barnes as his “big brother” who showed him the ropes.
The apprentice has developed into the master and Barnes doesn’t mind one bit that Cooper is now the “main man”.
“I think we’ve got a pretty good understanding and we’ve played together a fair bit over the years and there’s a bit of yin and yang there in a lot of respects,” he said.
“He’s matured massively.
“In terms of him being the main man, at 12 your job is to help your 10 out and give him the best hand you can and that’s all I’m trying to do out there.”
Barnes, who has never dominated Super Rugby like Cooper, admitted he felt more at home in the more structured, high-pressure Test arena.
“I probably do if I’m being honest,” he said.
“In the structure of Test matches I don’t mind that sort of footy, I enjoy it and it suits my game.”
Former British and Lions five-eighth and expert analyst Stuart Barnes was adamant the Cooper-Barnes alliance was the best combination for Australia to win the Webb Ellis Cup.
“We said at the start of the tournament that he needed a bit of help – well, Barnes provided it,” Barnes told SkySport.
“The balance between Barnes and Cooper (against Russia) was very clever and Australia are going to have to kick some ball to win the World Cup and they looked good.”
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