Jordie Barrett is back in black following a title-winning season at URC powerhouse Leinster, and he is eager to put what he learned in Europe into practice in the Shaky Isles.
Barrett has been picked to start at inside centre for the All Blacks’ July Series opener against France in Dunedin, and he will be joined by a new running partner – albeit a familiar one.
Billy Proctor, Barrett’s Hurricanes midfield partner, has earned his first All Blacks appearance on New Zealand soil, after winning his first two international caps last season in San Diego and Tokyo.
Proctor will rejoin Barrett as he works his way up the ranks and hopes to capture the No. 13 jersey in the future.
“It’s nice to have a familiar face around me,” Proctor told media during the All Blacks selection announcement on Thursday. “I trained with him (Barrett) on Tuesday, recalling his patterns and getting to know him.
“It’s coming back pretty quickly as I’ve played a bit of footy with him.”
The 26-year-old Wellingtonian now has 70 Hurricanes caps, the great bulk of which have come since 2022 – this season excepted – alongside the youngest of the All Blacks’ Barrett triplets.
Jordie made the switch from fullback to centre in 2022, dethroning David Havili on the international stage when the time arose. Meanwhile, Proctor was going to win an NPC title with Wellington.
The two have taken radically different paths, yet they established themselves at the Hurricanes on a same schedule and can now carry that bond to the international level.
With the pair having spent so much time together at club level, Proctor was in the best position to answer reporters’ questions regarding Barrett’s changes since returning from Dublin.
“Do I notice a change in him? A tiny amount. You see, Leinster’s line speed is quite high, therefore he’s willing to reduce it here. So we’re just getting acclimated to it, and I’m confident we’ll be on the same page by Saturday.”
In 2024, the All Blacks began the season with some strong defensive performances, despite some criticism for passive play. Throughout the July series against England and Fiji, they allowed no more than 17 points in a single game and won all three matches.
However, the Rugby Championship was a different story. The team created an unpleasant record for the most points conceded by New Zealand in a TRC campaign.
Whether Barrett’s new and improved linespeed can help steer the Kiwis to better success will be addressed on Saturday, when they face an inexperienced France team.
Proctor and Barrett have won the race for first place in 2025, but with six midfielders vying for a spot on the squad, they understand the strain they face.
“I suppose there’s a responsibility to go out there and perform, given how many midfielders there are and who gets the first chance at it. There is clearly a responsibility to do it right.
“However, you have assistance from the rest of our midfielders. They’ve done everything they can to assist us and prepare Jordie, me, and Quinn for the task. “We get that from them.”
For Proctor, a season with the All Blacks has prepared him well for the opportunity to wear the No.13 shirt. He informed the reporters that his main takeaway from his debut season was “probably just how diligent we can be in our preparation.”
“Small things matter in international football, and I believe we do a good job of it as a team. So we’re just going over all of our jobs and making sure we have a strategy for the weekend.”
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