Otere Black Willing To Bear Barrett’s Burden
Blues star Otere Black is as selfless as selfless gets. The first-five player says he’s more than willing to walk the extra mile if it means helping his team – even if the sacrifice means having to be dropped from the team to make space for Beauden Barrett in the number 10.
Barrett’s constant under-performance has been inciting heavy criticism from all angles, with many questioning whether he should even be moved back to first-five at all. But according to a former Irish Lions first-five player, Barrett should be moved back into the position that got him voted two-time Rugby Player of the Year in the first place. Stuart Barnes, in his column for the Times, earlier this week weighed in on the situation with his opinion around Barrett and the number 10 position. Barnes also said that if Barrett were to be turned liability by something as unnecessary as being pushed into a forced position to which he isn’t suited, then New Zealand Rugby could ultimately end up losing one of the potentially greatest and most original players in the sport’s history.
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The problem however is the effect that a failure to move Barrett into first-five is going to have on Black’s career. Black will essentially have to pay with his career because of Barrett’s string of poor performances, which doesn’t seem fair at all either.
But Black is for his part at peace with whatever the powers that be end up deciding of his fate while playing sport for the Blues, saying he only wants what is best for his team and for his mates.
