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Beauden Barrett: All Blacks game is heading in the same direction as World Rugby law changes with ‘more skilful’ players required All Blacks star Beauden Barrett and an inset of Will Jordan. Beauden Barrett believes that the All Blacks’ style of play under new head coach Dave Rennie suits the ever-changing World Rugby laws. The game’s governing body has made several law-focused alterations to the lawbook in recent years with the aim of speeding up the game and limiting the amount of dead time. Shot-clocks have been introduced for place-kicks, with the time for penalty kicks reduced to align with conversions. Referees have also been encouraged to speed up the scrums and lineouts while scrum-halves have been further protected at the back of mauls, rucks and scrums. World Rugby also removed the scrum option from free-kicks, after the Springboks chose the set-piece from marks inside their 22 during the 2023 Rugby World Cup knockout stages. The outlawing of escort runners for catchers from kicks has also had a positive impact on the attacking game. World Rugby updates place a greater need for skilful players Barrett believes that these changes and the global trend of teams being more expansive with ball in hand suits the All Blacks‘ style of play, particularly after the arrival of Rennie and his assistant coach Mike Blair, who is running the team’s attack. Furthermore, the veteran playmaker – who earns his first start of the year against the Stormers on Friday evening – believes that fans are also benefiting from the law alterations with more entertaining rugby being produced at all levels. He added that the law updates mean that there is more demand for players to be skilful. “I think that fans probably want to see more of a free-flowing game,” Barrett told reporters in Cape Town. “So, the rules adapt all the time around creating a game that allows us to do that. Of course, there’s always going to be stoppages in play, but I think referees are far more aware of those stoppages and don’t allow as many. With that, obviously, you’ve got to be fitter, more skilful because you’re going to get more ball in play. “That’s where our game’s going and where the game in general is going, I think, and certainly having watched a lot of club rugby across the world, the Prem was a fantastic product. “You see it everywhere: the French, the way they play, Super Rugby, even our NPC back home; round one there was a lot of really quality rugby. “I think the fans are probably happy with where it’s going, and as a player, a back, I don’t know what the forwards have to say about it, but we want to be able to move the ball around and play at a decent speed with skill – that’s how we enjoy playing rugby.” Law discussion: Seven small changes World Rugby could make to stop referees deciding so many Tests Looking to the Stormers Looking to the clash against the Stormers, Barrett is expecting a stern challenge up front from the Capetonians with John Dobson’s men living up to the cliches of South African teams possessing a strong scrum while being aggressive and physical in contact. “Parity up front is important, or dominance to be fair,” he added. Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust. “It’s going to be a physical game; set-piece is very important, and it certainly makes our job a lot easier when our big boys are going forward and winning those collisions.”