Super Rugby: ‘They were the best times of your life’ – Jordie Barrett misses South Africa tour

The 27-year-old notched up 100 caps for the Hurricanes at the weekend, but unfortunately for the superstar, he marked the milestone with a red card for a dangerous tackle.

Looking back on his career, Barrett burst onto the scene back when Super Rugby still included South African teams and the All Blacks star believes playing against those sides was the best preparation for Test rugby.

“To be able to go to South Africa and play against the South African sides on a two or three-week tour, they were the best times of your life almost, and we miss going to South Africa, for sure.

“You play them at Johannesburg or any of those formidable South African stadiums, and you’ve got a challenge of big physical forward packs. In some ways, you can learn lessons as a young kid before you make it to Test level that you can apply when you land a spot.

“You do miss a lot of growth and learning at that age and I’m grateful I got a taste of that before we lost them.”

The youngest of the Barretts was primarily a full-back in the initial stages of his career but has now made the move to inside centre – a switch he was always waiting for.

“It was always in the back of my mind, but I never really had the tools to play Super Rugby or anything at that level early on as a mid-fielder, so it has been a natural progression.

“I’ve found my feet now and enjoy settling in at 12 [second five-eighths]. I am happy with where things are at the moment, but ask any footy player, and there are always things to work on.

“There are always skills that require a little more work and the idiosyncrasies of playing 12. There are so many parts of the game where you can add more strings to your bow, so that’s been refreshing for me.”