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Jordie Barrett expected to start against Glasgow for Leinster this weekend
@Source: irishmirror.ie
All Black superstar Jordie Barrett has been involved in all five of Leinster's Champions Cup games to date but has not been guaranteed the starting role many expected.He was a sub in the opening game against Bristol, started against Clermont, La Rochelle and Bath and was a sub last week against Harlequins.It looks as if he is starting again on Friday night against Glasgow Warriors but whether it is at no15 in place of Hugo Keenan or at no12 in place of either Robbie Henshaw or Garry Ringrose is unclear.Against Bath and to accommodate Barrett at no12 Henshaw moved to no13 with Ringrose - who is running with a below 60 percent tackle-completion stat in this competition - moving to the wing. The New Zealander says he accepts it is part of his job to be adaptable but the suspicion has to be he would rather start more games."If I get any opportunity to play whether it’s starting or on the bench or adding value somewhere else," says Barrett, "it's certainly not difficult, the game now demands 23 players and the wider squad to prepare them for the weekend.“If your job is to come on and change a game, to add some value or to put a game away, that’s your job for that week.“If your job is to start, obviously you want to start and play well and put the team in a good position so they can come on and play well. So, I know it sounds very cliché, but it takes 23.“I had conversations with Leo before even coming over here, the role could change week to week. There’s world class players here, so look I’m just hoping I stay fit and healthy and whatever opportunity I get I’ll take with two hands.”It is interesting though that Leinster have taken a similar tack with RG Snyman who was a sub against Bristol, Clermont, La Rochelle and Bath before starting against Harlequins.In one way, the pressure is on the two imports to deliver the step-up to winning a trophy Leinster crave, but in another way they are not being asked to bear a huge burden.“You can do two things with it," says the All Black of the spotlight. "You can let that become a burden and heavy but I have learned to try and embrace it and understand that it’s a privileged position I am in and the other boys and the opportunity that we have as well."That excites me and gets you out of bed every day. Nothing is certain and you don’t know what’s going to come at the end of the line but the challenge is awesome.”“It’s certainly not copy and paste but there are a lot of similarities in how the weeks are set up and the boys and the coaches prepare and deliver."You are just dealing with different personnel, culture and personalities. The nature of Leinster is that it is a very successful club and a big squad and that in itself has been the biggest change with guys going out to Six Nations and then a full academy squad contributing."The whole team can change week to week and the major difference from where I come from is that there’s enough guys and talent there, we could roll out a 23 on the weekend and plenty of guys are missing out next weekend who could do just as good a job.“Players are well aware of that in the Leinster set-up, they’re ready to take your jumper if you don’t take your opportunity. It’s healthy.”
Sure is - healthy enough to have put 10 tries and 62-0 on Harlequins last Saturday at Croke Park.
"We squeezed them defensively, our attack was fluid, a lot of things we’ve been working on through the season from an attacking point of view shone through and the weather assists in that sometimes too.
"You’re playing through November, December, January you’re trying to play a certain way but you’re handcuffed and you have to be patient in that space.
“Ultimately bring your best stuff at this time of the season.
“It clicked at the weekend, a lot of good stuff, but we’re facing a very good side this weekend and it’s a European Cup rugby, you can only beat the team in front of you.”
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