Barritt’s smelling like Roses
11 Jan 2012
GARETH DUNCAN chats to former Sharks centre Brad Barritt, who’s been included in England’s 32-man Elite Player Squad.
Barritt is one of nine newcomers to the squad along with fellow Saracens centre Owen Farrell, Northampton Saints duo Lee Dickson and Calum Clark, and Scarlets No 8 Ben Morgan.
Barritt joined Saracens in August 2008 and has played 87 matches for the club. He was named Saracens’ Player of the Year in the 2009-10 season and was called up for England’s tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2010, playing the midweek match against the New Zealand Maori.
Speaking from the newly opened Stellenbosch Academy of Sports, where Saracens trained on Wednesday morning, the 25-year-old was delighted with the news he received from England.
‘I’m delighted. It’s an opportunity that I’ve been wanting for a long time and one I’ll be grabbing with both hands,’ Barritt told keo.co.za. ‘I’ve been in England for three years now, and I feel I’ve adapted well since my arrival. Now I just have to work hard.’
Over and above international retirements (Lewis Moody, Jonny Wilkinson, Steve Thompson) and long-term injuries (Andrew Sheridan and Richard Wigglesworth), interim coach Stuart Lancaster has axed nearly half of the 2011 World Cup squad including Mike Tindall, Nick Easter and Mark Cueto.
‘Lots of players have been putting their hands up and there were some tough calls to make,’ said Lancaster. ‘However, in line with the selection philosophy about starting new era for English rugby,we have taken the chance to make changes and give players opportunities to be part of the journey towards 2015.
‘We are looking both at the present and just as importantly the future. We wanted to get the right balance in potential and experience and giving us the flexibility to play in different ways. We need to use the upcoming games to build the collective experience and we are confident we have got the right mix to take England forward into this Six Nations and beyond.’
Barritt added that he’s excited to be part of a new era in England rugby.
‘Losing many players is the general trend after a World Cup. And this now a huge chance for the younger guys who are ready for the step up. There are some new talented guys in the squad and I believe their selection is warranted. It’s an exciting time for everyone.’
England Elite Player Squad (32)
Forwards (18): Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Lee Mears (Bath ), Ben Morgan (Scarlets), Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Matt Stevens (Saracens), Rob Webber (London Wasps), David Wilson (Bath ), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints).
Backs (14): Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Charlie Hodgson (Saracens), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester ), David Strettle (Saracens), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
33 Comments
11 Jan 2012, 16:08 pm
Sad.
11 Jan 2012, 16:17 pm
Congratulations, Brad, here’s hoping you get a run.
11 Jan 2012, 16:21 pm
Well deserved. 3 Saffas to potentially play for the poms then if they are all drawn from this elite squad…
11 Jan 2012, 16:30 pm
Well done Brad. Been a long road to the international stage, lets hope for a starting birth now!
Having said that it still hurts not seeing him in a Sharks jersey. Could’ve been avoided if our incompetent administrators had made the Emerging Boks an SA A Team, thus tieing down those players to South Africa. England have done it with the Saxons.
Short list of Barritts achievments:
Sharks 2006 – 2008
SA U20 2006
Emerging Boks 2007-2008
Saracens 2009 – Current
England Saxons 2010 – 2011
England Elite Squad 2012
Impressive CV. Many teams would be falling over each other to sign a quality 12 like him
11 Jan 2012, 16:35 pm
Mouritz Botha also gets a well deserved call-up.
11 Jan 2012, 16:46 pm
Hahahaha! There were a couple of chops on keo that were mouthing off about how
Barritt is so useless that he can’t even get into the England squad.
That’s egg on your collective faces.
11 Jan 2012, 16:57 pm
Well done and deserving.
11 Jan 2012, 17:09 pm
I think Keo got a boner from this news. I smell a SA Rugby cover.
11 Jan 2012, 17:11 pm
well done barritt, finally surpassed hape, flutey (are they injured)?
now for the starting berth and lighting international rugby.
11 Jan 2012, 17:14 pm
I think England are looking for their “Peterson” of rugby, keep fishing boys.
11 Jan 2012, 18:52 pm
Never been a big Barritt fan… but sincere congratulations to the guy… Let’s hope he claims the 12 jersey for himself…
11 Jan 2012, 18:56 pm
I see Maties won Sarries.
Good work.
11 Jan 2012, 19:29 pm
@Transformation-9: They aren’t injured, just not required:
Lancaster reveals new-look England squad
Last Updated: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:58
England’s interim coach Stuart Lancaster has named nine uncapped players in his 32-man elite squad for the upcoming Six Nations.
After a disastrous World Cup campaign Lancaster has swung the axe to get rid of a number of veterans who failed to perform in New Zealand, with Mike Tindall, Mark Cueto, Nick Easter, Shontayne Hape and Riki Flutey all failing to make the cut.
Lancaster has instead looked towards some fresh faces to give England an injection of new blood, with Saracens star Owen Farrell the biggest name to be handed his first call-up.
Also included for the first time are Scarlets number eight Ben Morgan and Northampton trio Calum Clark, Phil Dowson and Lee Dickson, with eight players in total included from the Saints squad.
Harlequins duo Jordan Turner-Hall and Joe Marler, along with Wasps hooker Rob Webber and Saracens Brad Barritt, complete the debutants in the squad, while Mouritz Botha, Charlie Sharples, Chris Robshaw and Joe Simpson will be looking to add to the one cap they have so far.
Lancaster admits the selection process has been tough but believes he has made the right choices in his bid to bring through the next generation of England players.
“Lots of players have been putting their hands up and there were some tough calls to make,” said Lancaster.
“However, in line with the selection philosophy about starting a new era for English rugby, we have taken the chance to make changes and give players opportunities to be part of the journey towards [the World Cup in] 2015.”
11 Jan 2012, 21:07 pm
@HHS-12:
Please take this in the spirit it’s meant, but Maties BEAT Sarries, not WON them.
11 Jan 2012, 21:17 pm
@David-14: No, I think they won them. Got to take them home. You’ll probably find most of the team will end up on Gumtree within a week.
11 Jan 2012, 21:21 pm
@David-14: I blame the marked-up english textbook that the last person wrote the answers in.
12 Jan 2012, 03:34 am
@>^..^< katman-15:
I think you might be right… half that Saracens ‘B’ side comprised of ZAF names I’ve never heard of… they might not get return flights to the UK…
12 Jan 2012, 08:27 am
@>^..^< katman-15:
12 Jan 2012, 09:05 am
Sharks centre cordon has never been the same since Barrit left.
Huge loss for the Sharks.
12 Jan 2012, 09:08 am
@John Galt-19: yip
12 Jan 2012, 09:13 am
@John Galt-19: To be honest. Barrit only really featured for the Sharks when he and Waylon was a combo.
12 Jan 2012, 09:27 am
@HHS-21:
I disagree, Waylon fell off the form wagon soon after Barritt left and is now only finding form again next to quality 12s like Doppies and Hollenbach.
Waylon needs a quality 12 to bring out the best in him and Barrit was that 12 at the Sharks.
12 Jan 2012, 09:36 am
Anyone know what happened to Pat Barnard, the WP prop who left with english aspirations?
12 Jan 2012, 09:47 am
Barritt is a decent player at provincial and superrugby level. Would have in the long run due to injuries to other premier midfielders gotten a few caps here & there but no more than around 10 caps. He is very much like Benson Stanley,nice solid player but dispensable really at international level, He is the new Stuart Abbott. Average.
Frans Steyn,Juan de Jongh,Wynand Olivier,Doppies le Grange all better 12′s in my view
He has been in England 3 years and he only makes preliminary squad now with Flutey,Hape,Tindall,Flood etc all having played ahead of him in the 12 berth…vaunted company that….
Decent player but next generation of midfielders beckons in SA:
Johan Sadie
Frans Venter
Wandile Mjekevu
Paul Jordaan
Tshotsho Mbovane
Rob Eberson
Plus Steyn & de Jongh are better and YOUNGER than Barritt.
Good for him though,anything is an improvement for England right now
12 Jan 2012, 09:53 am
@John Galt-22:
Barritt also fell off when Waylon was injured,not playin etc. They played well off each other.Without each other they never reached the heights they had displayed early in their careers as a combo.
Waylon has had shocking luck with injuries since 2008,has lost a few yards pace wise which made him so dangerous at 1.91m 105kgs. Plus he;s bang for contact.Average player now
Barritt has been decent without being spectacular in an inferior league.And been playing behind likes Hape,Flutey,Tuilagi is well documented.
12 Jan 2012, 10:08 am
@mshiniwami-25:
Yeah, agree with Waylons bad luck with regard to injuries. Seriously hampered his progress.
What I would give for that combo, fully fit, back at the Sharks again though.
Barrits obviously been rewarded for some big performances in the Premier League and Heiniken cup.
Sharks could actually have a half decent 12/13 combo if they had any balls.
Is Mbovane a midfielder? I thought he was an out and out winger.
Glad to see the Sharks have held on to Mjekevu. Think its time Odwa gave it up.
He’s in serious danger of being bracketed with Tereblanche and Joubert in the ‘should have given it up a season ago’ category.
12 Jan 2012, 12:00 pm
@John Galt-26: Odwa still has a few seasons left in him. He may not have the pace but he still has the best rugby brain of all our outside backs. He brings experience that will help the youngsters.
If only we could combine Odwa’s positioning and defensive nous with Mvovo’s pace and power.
12 Jan 2012, 12:04 pm
With Mjekevu in, I guess Ndungane is the Odwa out.
12 Jan 2012, 12:22 pm
a synopsis of Barrit’s ablities according to the English scribes.
BRAD BARRITT, 25, CENTRE
A strong tackling and straight running centre whose style is a key feature of Saracens’ success over the past two seasons. He arrived from South Africa little known and has worked his way up, culminating in a headline-grabbing performance against Harlequins at Twickenham in front of 82,000 people at Christmas. But his lack of finesse may find him out at this level and continue England’s lack of midfield dynamism in recent seasons.
If the English journo’s think you lack finesse………
12 Jan 2012, 12:28 pm
@John Galt-26: @John Galt-26:
Yeah definitely would kill to have Waylon & Barritt in midfield now,had they been retained it would have bore fruit aplenty by now instead of the Riaan Swanepoel’s,JLP,Bosman,Terblanche etc Even Adi was let go and he was better than all the current bunch in Sharks midfield stock.
Mjekevu has been signed as predominantly a midfielder if Im not mistaken. With JP Pietersen,Lwazi Mvovo,Sbura Sithole & Odwa Ndungane I dont see him featuring as a winger. I hope they play Jordaan & Mjekevu as a combo at some point during the season.That has potential to be a special combination as well.
@HulkSmash-27:
Bravo mate,Bravo! I concur with everything you say about Odwa.Its amazing how much he has developed into a allround footballer over the years.Great rugby brain now
@>^..^< katman-28:
mjekevu been signs as midfield cover.Odwa not going anywhere
12 Jan 2012, 13:00 pm
@mshiniwami-30: The facet of play that I like best about Odwa is that he always makes the right call in defence. He makes decisive tackles. This is Mvovo’s biggest weakness. He is often stranded and indecisive.
I feel more assured of our defence when JPP and Odwa are our wings.
I hope Mjekevu has improved his tackling, he just ushered the opposition through when he first appeared for the Lions (but I guess the whole team did then as well)
12 Jan 2012, 13:28 pm
@HulkSmash-31:
Fair enough.Yeah odwa is very good defensively,had a decent boot on him & good under high ball and offloads well never dies with ball.Solid player.
About Mvovo you’re right he needs to correct his positioning on defense and up his workrate allround.But remember it look Odwa a few years to get to this point,Mvovo has what you cant teach or coach-genuine linebreaking ability and power in contact & speed.The other things will come with time.Its a bit like Rene Ranger for blues & Ab’s,great natural talent and power but still deficient parts of his game such as discipline,decision making,defensive organisation etc
Mjekevu is 20 yrs old,he has also bulked up since Lions Superrugby debut. He stands @ 1.91m 91kgs now he was around 78kgs then.
12 Jan 2012, 16:22 pm
You can bulk up but still be poor at tackling, look at JDV – bigger but still lets players slip through by not putting the shoulder in.
Mvovo doesn’t have that much time, isn’t he already 27/28. I reckon that Sithole will eventually overtake him in the pecking order, he is young but seems to have a better understanding, not as powerful but more guile
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