Beauden Barrett: All Black ahead of the Super Rugby Championship match against South Africa

The All Blacks are embracing their Johannesburg welcome as they prepare to play at one of the toughest rugby venues on Sunday morning.  

Several members of the playing squad and staff are on their first visit to South Africa.  

New Zealand coach Scott Robertson played in the 46-40 test defeat at Ellis Park in 2000, but secured the 2017 Super title at the venue as Crusaders mentor. 

Beauden Barrett told Mike Hosking that they haven't been overtraining early in the week, but by the time they hit the ground on Sunday, they’ll be ready to go. 

He said that the game will likely go right up until the 80th minute, and the win will go to whoever is going to work the hardest.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This weekend all blacks in South Africa first test post
the Leon McDonald era, if you can call a few
games an era anyway, Ellis Park record will show South
Africa's one nine of the fifteen and fallback of Boden
Barrett is with us. Good morning, good evening, How are
you very well? Indeed, take us through the week. How's
it been.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's been a great week so far. One time in
here over here, but it's still very hot during the day,
and it's dry, and we're at altitude and Johannesburg, so
training's gradually intensified as we've gone along. But yeah, we're
building nicely.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
How long does it take you, if it takes you
anytime at all to adjust to altitude?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh gosh, I don't think you'll ever adjust fully. Even
for the South Africans having a home advantage, they'll be
still suffering a little bit at altitude, There's no doubt
about that. Just obviously a lot harder to breathe than
you get guess really quickly. So the ball also travels

(01:02):
probably ten twenty percent further. All these things to weigh up.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
How does that go?

Speaker 2 (01:08):
So?

Speaker 1 (01:08):
How much time do you adjust your practice during the
week one in practicing kicking to touch and two catching
a high ball.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, obviously it hans up there a little bit longer,
so your timing, like you say, we have to adjust
to that. We get plenty of reps in but general
kicking out of hands, even passing just little things that's
just increased by by ten or twenty percent. So yeah,
we're slowly. We have an overtrained early on in the week,

(01:37):
but we trained a good clip today and really felt
our lungs burning. So yeah, we don't want to overtrain early,
especially after travel. But by the time we hit the
ground on Saturday, are we ready to go?

Speaker 1 (01:48):
And how much do you reckon? This weekend is about
So you take the altitude, you take elis park, the crowd,
you take the rivalry, all of that. How much of
that's in your head as opposed to the physicality of
just training and this is another game.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, it's the biggest challenge of these test matches is
when it gets really tough being able to look up,
see the space and be able to communicate it. So, yeah,
we're driving our big boys to get up off the deck,
give ourselves options to play for wherever the space is
because it's going to be the same for both teams.
It's whoever wants to work really hard, and in our

(02:24):
previous experience here we show that when we use the
ball in the back and the latter part of the games,
that's where we really broke them open. So it's going
to be a twenty three man efit, that's for sure,
and it's probably going to go to the eightieth minute
if we really want it.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Speaking of you, it's speaking which when they name a
team as they did yesterday, does anything within you change?
I mean the players change week to week. Does that
affect you in any way, shape or form. Giving you're
at the back of the field, you can see it all.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
I guess for us if there are changes, it's getting
used to the different combinations. But that's why we've practiced
throughout the week. We become familiar with one another and
the game plan they want to play. But in terms
of their strategy, typically they pick an extra ford on
the bench and go for two backs on the bench.
So that's a sign of them wanting to be physical

(03:16):
upfront and roll on their big boys early on in
the second half and make a statement. But I'm sure
our big boys will handle it and it's going to
be an interesting one to see how that goes. Hopefully
not too many scrubs and line out males, and there'll
be a good brand of rugby.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
Fact that it's in the daylight making any difference to.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
You, it's great playing afternoon. The climate's great over here.
Five o'clock kickoffs, so it'll start off being funny and
then the end of the game it'll be nighttime, but
it's the perfect time.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, have you been out enough to get a vibe?
I mean, are the All Blacks still revered in that
part of the world. Is there's still that fizz between
two of the great nations.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
There's plenty of fids here in Johannesburg, is going to
be even more in Cape Town. Our support there is phenomenal,
and all the places that we travel to in the world,
it's probably the biggest in Cape Town and we've really
felt it here too, So no doubt when we drive
to Alice Park we'll get all those Yeah, they'll be

(04:17):
right into us, getting stuck in. It's pretty hostile place
to play, and we'll certainly feel the energy from the crowd,
and no doubt they'll try and dron out the Huckers,
So it's all probably if not, you know, one of
the best places to be tested in the arena, and
I'm obviously lucky enough to give another opportunity there.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
So yeah, exactly do they deserve currently the hype that's
behind them? Are they really that good?

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yes, they've been dominant for two cycles now, winning the
World Cup in twenty and nineteen and twenty three. They've
got a very experienced squad and some big boys who
they know what they're doing. They play a game plan
that really suits them. But I think we'll see that evolve.

(05:04):
Tony Brown's there helping them out, so I think you'll
see a little bit of expansion to their game, and
particularly with their selections. I've got some very exciting backs.
So yeah, you'll see them express themselves on the weekend,
which we've got to be aware of.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
But we're up the challenge fantastic. I haven't talked to
you since the changes. What do you make of Razor?
Do you love them?

Speaker 2 (05:27):
He's a great guy and the team that he's got
working with him, it's pretty impressive. We're still working each
other out and becoming familiar with certain things, but it's
been a good start, and yeah, there's no doubt that
everyone knows the success that he's had, and yeah it's

(05:50):
a privilege and I'm happy to be working with them.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Fantastic, the All Blacks Bowden by how many.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Guys, I'll take it by one three? Fair When South
excur against this current side is going to be a
great outcome for us, So you have no doubt we're
backing ourselves. Don't get me wrong. It's going to be
a tough game, but we believe that we can do it.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Good on him, go well, Boden Barrap out of South
Africa for us this morning, Let's make a phone call
to a winner in a moment. For more from the
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