Bleak memories for Barrett and the Hurricanes ahead of Super Rugby

NOTICE: Crusaders It is questionable which Beauden Barrett will be unmasked at Christchurch on Saturday night

It may be a question to which Hurricane coaches will also be confronting in counting the days from the Super Rugby semifinal to the AMI stadium.

felt inclined to enumerate in great detail the good things that the first Barrett did during his career with the All Blacks and Hurricanes, you could burn some keyboards.

Yes, he's fine. Some say that he is the best player on the planet, and since he was named International Rugby Player of the Year by World Rugby for two successive seasons, this argument has merit.

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Barrett played for the last time in Christchurch when the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 24-13 in the preliminary round match on a miserable night on May 25.

Rarely Crusaders, who have not been defeated at home since the Hurricanes 35-10 two years ago, walk on AMI Stadium ranked as underdogs.

Crusader Coach Scott Robertson could not take possession of Owen Franks and Joe Moody's props because they were serving suspensions, while Captain Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Ryan Crotty, Israel Dagg and Tim Perry were injured

Then came the news that Jordan Taufua had been ruled out at the last minute because of a calf injury. To speak of more misery on a side already devastated by misfortune, self-inflicted or not.

Most people expected the Hurricanes, who had already won 10 consecutive victories, to seize the largest city on the South Island. What happened, however, turned out to be the defining moment of the Crusader season.

Their attackers were outstanding, and with top five Richie Mo 'unga who were kicking hard in difficult conditions, they converted the 54% of their possession into territory by 61%. The fact that the restless Hurricanes conceded 14 penalties to the six crusaders was also significant.

Forwards Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Scott Barrett and Mike Alaalatoa scored for the Crusaders. It was that kind of party, not one for the guys from the back line.

If you ever expect a player of Barrett's caliber to dominate a match, that's all. Born and raised in Taranaki, he will be very versed in the art of playing with a slippery ball on a heavy turf. It's also raining in Wellington.

Still, Barrett and his Hurricanes players, having perhaps logged on to all the bulletin boards or listened to the wise owls on the radio talkback channels, tried to run when the tryline was still distant.

And got nowhere. So they tried again. Decision making was defective.

One night when the ground was firm and the ball dry, such tactics would have merit. Especially with a back line containing attacking machines such as Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ben Lam, Julian Savea, Jordie Barrett and Ngani Laumape.

Then, Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd could not launch his players under the bus. It does not work like that.

Because if a coach, as frustrated as he is, quibbles with one of his teammates in the public zone, he could force him to enter damage control behind closed doors.

singled out, he can easily become resentful. "

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd lamented the bad tactical decisions and the high number of penalties:" We have not managed to manage our game well, "he said.

. Question time with the media at the back of the sheds lasted three minutes. "It was fast, is not it?" Boyd said while the pickups were down.

We could not say anything more. Sometimes it's better to leave things like this.

– Tips and Tricks