SCOTT BARRETT SAID his fiery first-half exchange with Joe McCarthy during last night’s November Series clash in Dublin was in reaction to what he perceived as a ‘below the line’ incident involving the Ireland lock and Damian McKenzie.
Barrett and McCarthy squared up in an early flashpoint after a forced New Zealand knock-on.
Speaking after the game, Barrett admitted he was unsure if McCarthy had made dangerous contact with McKenzie, but explained that in the heat in the moment felt he had to defend his out-half.
“I don’t usually take exception but I saw something that was, I guess, below the line for me,” Barrett said.
“I guess you had to make a point of ‘you’re not targeting our 10 tonight.’
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“I think I was getting up from a ruck and from where I saw it, it looked like Damian was on the ground and Joe cleaned him up.
“From where I saw it it looked like it was around his head. Whether it was or not, I’m not too sure, but I guess I took exception in that moment. It may not have been, I’m not too sure.
“It looked like a bit of a shoulder to a man on the ground.”
Barrett added that he felt it was an isolated moment in what was largely an incident-free contest.
“I think they play hard, they’re a great team, a physical team and great with ball in hand. It was just the one moment.”
The second row also played down the significance of having Rieko Ioane lead the New Zealand Haka ahead of the game.
Ioane’s clash with Johnny Sexton after last year’s World Cup quarter-final had been stirred up in recent weeks after the former Ireland out-half detailed the exchange in his autobiography.
In response, the New Zealand centre led the Haka for the first time in Dublin, and after the game posted an image of the moment with the caption, “Put that in the book.”
“We’ve got a number of guys who can lead the Haka and it was Rieko’s first opportunity,” said Barrett.
“We love it (the Haka), and the English walked forward, the Irish did that as well, and you can hear the atmosphere and the crowd really getting in behind it. It sets the tone for what’s in store.”
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'I saw something that was below the line' - Barrett explains clash with McCarthy
SCOTT BARRETT SAID his fiery first-half exchange with Joe McCarthy during last night’s November Series clash in Dublin was in reaction to what he perceived as a ‘below the line’ incident involving the Ireland lock and Damian McKenzie.
Barrett and McCarthy squared up in an early flashpoint after a forced New Zealand knock-on.
Speaking after the game, Barrett admitted he was unsure if McCarthy had made dangerous contact with McKenzie, but explained that in the heat in the moment felt he had to defend his out-half.
“I don’t usually take exception but I saw something that was, I guess, below the line for me,” Barrett said.
“I guess you had to make a point of ‘you’re not targeting our 10 tonight.’
“I think I was getting up from a ruck and from where I saw it, it looked like Damian was on the ground and Joe cleaned him up.
“From where I saw it it looked like it was around his head. Whether it was or not, I’m not too sure, but I guess I took exception in that moment. It may not have been, I’m not too sure.
“It looked like a bit of a shoulder to a man on the ground.”
Barrett added that he felt it was an isolated moment in what was largely an incident-free contest.
“I think they play hard, they’re a great team, a physical team and great with ball in hand. It was just the one moment.”
The second row also played down the significance of having Rieko Ioane lead the New Zealand Haka ahead of the game.
Ioane’s clash with Johnny Sexton after last year’s World Cup quarter-final had been stirred up in recent weeks after the former Ireland out-half detailed the exchange in his autobiography.
In response, the New Zealand centre led the Haka for the first time in Dublin, and after the game posted an image of the moment with the caption, “Put that in the book.”
“We’ve got a number of guys who can lead the Haka and it was Rieko’s first opportunity,” said Barrett.
“We love it (the Haka), and the English walked forward, the Irish did that as well, and you can hear the atmosphere and the crowd really getting in behind it. It sets the tone for what’s in store.”
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Heated Ireland Joe McCarthy scott barrett New Zealand