Former Leinster fly-half Andy Dunne admits he cannot fathom why Jordie Barrett did not start their Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton on Saturday.
The now journalist, who also turned out for Harlequins, Bath and Connacht during his career, was speaking after the game and was asked the question about Barrett’s role.
Dunne believes that there was no “logical reason” why Barrett didn’t start the fixture at the Aviva Stadium, with the All Blacks centre coming on to the field on 49 minutes.
Barrett benched
Speaking on Off the Ball after Saints’ Champions Cup win, he said: “Yeah. Again, we spoke about this pre-game. There seemed to be a pattern in selection based on form. Max Deegan got selected on form, Tommy O’Brien got selected on the wing on form. So if you are keeping that pattern across the team, on form, Jordie Barrett starts.”
Dunne continued by suggesting there might have been a directive from the Irish Rugby Football Union that both Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose had to start the game.
“I can’t quite work out why he didn’t, unless there’s a directive from the IRFU that you know two current Irish internationals, who are excellent and are very familiar and a seasoned partnership together – they don’t necessarily weaken the team in any way – unless there is some kind of directive that they needed to start,” he stated.
“I can’t work out any other logical reason why Barrett doesn’t.”
Barrett entered the field and made his presence felt in many ways on Saturday and Dunne was mightily impressed by the All Blacks centre’s performance in the second period.
“He made a huge impact when he came on. His aggression, physicality and off the ball when you’re at the game you can see how impactful he is around communication,” he said.
🗣️ ‘I can’t quite work out why he didn’t unless there’s a directive from the IRFU…’
Andy Dunne cannot fathom why Jordie Barrett did not start against Northampton, as his impact on the game was incredible, but too late. | 🏉
Rugby on Off The Ball w/ @bankofireland |… pic.twitter.com/Qi3QfvnmrB
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) May 4, 2025
“At times that Leinster team in the second-half looked shellshocked, you know. Body language, players were standing very far apart, motionless at times, staring into space almost.
Eerily quiet
“There were a number of occasions where we looked and said ‘there’s not much talking going on, even though they’re behind’. Often when you’re behind, you’d like to see players jumping into small little groups of two or three trying to problem solve. But it was very quiet, eerily quiet at times between them, but when Barrett came on and that seemed to pick up, that level of communication and integration of thought among different parts of the team running between the 9, 10 back into the back-row prior to lineout calls.
“There just seemed to be an increase in that and sometimes players of that ilk can deliver that. But again, it’s going to be under the list of maybe top 10 hard to fathom reasons that Leinster have found another way to lose.”