Blues coach McDonald lauds Barrett display after ‘harsh’ criticism

April 9 (Reuters) – Auckland Blues coach Leon McDonald praised Beauden Barrett after the All Blacks playmaker overcame per week through which his kind was questioned to steer his facet to a 54-17 Tremendous Rugby Pacific win over the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday.

Barrett got here underneath intense scrutiny after a disappointing efficiency in final week’s loss to the Waikato Chiefs with McDonald calling the criticism “fairly harsh” after the Blues returned to successful methods.

“I believed his recreation was implausible,” mentioned McDonald. “He is a high quality participant and each participant has moments the place they don’t seem to be at their greatest in any sport.

“The signal of the champion that he’s, he did not flinch the entire week. I believed he was implausible in the best way he led our crew, drove the technique very well and he simply bought on together with his enterprise.

“I believed at the moment he kicked very well. It wasn’t straightforward circumstances on the market, it was fairly greasy but he nonetheless had the arrogance to play which was actually good to see as effectively.”

Barrett performed an element in a number of of his crew’s 9 tries because the Blues placed on a powerful exhibiting to say a bonus level win, though the 31-year-old continued to battle together with his kicking from the tee with six misses from 10 makes an attempt.

That mattered little because the Blues had been completely dominant within the second half and go right into a bye week with McDonald upbeat as his crew sit in fifth after seven rounds.

“We have not been taking part in in addition to we wish, so we needed to flip the dial up in coaching and put some onerous yards in simply to verify we end this block on the best word and get the consequence that we wanted,” he mentioned.

“I feel the fellows have earned a superb relaxation and hopefully we are able to come again and take a few of this momentum into the second half of the season as a result of it is all to play for.”

Reporting by Michael Church, Modifying by Robert Birsel

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