Brian O’Driscoll insists that Leinster simply have to find a place for Jordie Barrett in their starting line-up for their Investec Champions Cup clash against Glasgow Warriors.
Leo Cullen could afford to name the All Blacks star on the bench for their round-of-16 encounter with with the backline full of Ireland stars.
Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose lined up at centre with Hugo Keenan at full-back – Barrett’s favoured two roles – while on the wing, where he can also play, more internationals resided in the form of James Lowe and Jamie Osborne.
Given the New Zealander’s ability to cover multiple positions, it is an understandable call to put him among the replacements, but O’Driscoll believes that he should be in the XV for the Champions Cup quarter-final.
Better than Robbie Henshaw
“It feels wrong doesn’t it? There’s something lovely to have where I know [RG] Snyman started, but the thought about having him and Jordie Barrett on the bench and to come after 45 minutes,” the Ireland and Leinster legend told Off The Ball.
“What Jordie has done when he has started games, I think you’ve got to find a starting place for him. If you’re picking the best centres in the world at the moment, is he ahead of Robbie Henshaw? I think the truth is he is. You’ve got to find a place for him.”
Head coach Cullen could feasibly start Barrett at 12 and shift Henshaw to 13, with Ringrose, who struggled in the Six Nations, making way, but the outside centre had a return to form against Harlequins.
“It’s great to see Garry Ringrose playing as well as he did. I thought he needed a performance like that just to reassure, particularly for his Lions prospects, that he’s very much back to his best,” O’Driscoll added.
“Defensively very good, in attack excellent – scoring tries and connecting – so I think you’ve got to find a position for him.”
Barrett’s versatility
Barrett has played in multiple positions during his career, initially featuring for the All Blacks mostly on the wing before shifting to full-back and then inside centre.
If Leinster decide against playing him in the latter two then O’Driscoll would therefore take the slightly more radical option, but ultimately the message from the 46-year-old is quite simple: Barrett has to start.
“Even on the wing for Jordie,” he said.
“You think about the ball carrying capacity of him, he’s 6ft 4in. He’s a really, really great footballer, he’s got the brawn but he’s got this subtlety to his game as well.
“He’s got nice skills, he’s got a really low error count. Robbie didn’t do anything wrong but I think for the next however many games they might have remaining in the competition, I think you really need to look at him starting, from 12 to 15.”
Cullen will name his team for Friday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Glasgow on Thursday as they look to book their place in the last-four.