Why Does Everyone Rave About Barnes' Goal Kicking?

[darkhorse]

I am a big fan of Berrick, but I have found it strange that numerous people on this site and others are claiming that he is Australia's best goal kicker and by some distance. From my memory I can't remember him having a dramatically successful season with the boot in any season to date, which I checked by looking up some stats that are below. I think Austin put together a great statistical analysis on this year's kickers in super rugby and JOC (James O'Connor) came away as the best choice hands down.

If you look at the stats below he has never really had a great season with the boot. He has never been our premier kicker in super rugby. He didn't even come close. This year he only scored 12 points with the boot so it can hardly be taken into account.

I noticed a lot of this talk seem to come about when he started playing for uni last year and again this year. Whilst I don't have any stats on his time in the shute shield I do admit he has done well. However, how much can really gathered when the Sydney Uni team is dominating, with its influx of super players, and a lot of conversions are in close to the posts. Uni is for the most part not under pressure during their games and don't feel any need to take low percentage penalty kicks at goal.

So why is Berrick Barnes our best goal kicker?



The following stats are from www.statbunker.com and are of Super 14 2010 / Kicking Strike Rate

Strike Con Con Pen Pen Tot Tot
Rate Att Succ Att Succ Att Succ
94.12 Matt Giteau 16 14 18 18 34 32
82.61 James O'Connor 8 7 15 12 23 19
77.78 Berrick Barnes 20 15 16 13 36 28
75 Quade Cooper 19 16 29 20 48 36

Berrick Barnes over the years
77.78 2010 Barnes 20 15 16 13 36 28
70.83 2009 Barnes 17 14 7 3 24 17
100 2010 Barnes 0 0 1 1 1 1

 

[Braveheart81]

He got ditched as the Tahs goalkicker early in the season because he kept missing.

I really think that JOC (James O'Connor), Cooper, Beale and Barnes are all very similar in goalkicking ability. They all have their great days and they all have their off days. It's really luck of the draw for the Wallabies as to who will kick best on the day.

We don't have anyone who is a superb goalkicker unfortunately.

 

[tigerland12]

Probably because of how he kicked for the Wallabies last year. Was a lot more consistent for us then O'Connor and Quade

 

[fatprop]

I think we have a load of average goal kickers, none are in the Steyn/Carter/Wilko class.

 

[darkhorse]

He got ditched as the Tahs goalkicker early in the season because he kept missing.

I really think that JOC (James O'Connor), Cooper, Beale and Barnes are all very similar in goalkicking ability. They all have their great days and they all have their off days. It's really luck of the draw for the Wallabies as to who will kick best on the day.

We don't have anyone who is a superb goalkicker unfortunately.

That's pretty much thoughts on it. They are all very similar and quite average, but they are young and can improve quickly, just probably not quick enough for the RWC final.

Tigerland12, yeah I forgot to take into account the Wallabies tests he has played, but he couldn't of played many last year could he? He would have definitely been better than Quade and JOC (James O'Connor), who were poor last year, but I think they have improved significantly this year.

 

[Richo]

He got ditched as the Tahs goalkicker early in the season because he kept missing.

I really think that JOC (James O'Connor), Cooper, Beale and Barnes are all very similar in goalkicking ability. They all have their great days and they all have their off days. It's really luck of the draw for the Wallabies as to who will kick best on the day.

We don't have anyone who is a superb goalkicker unfortunately.

Which makes it rather odd that Australia doesn't have a full-time kicking coach. It's a clear weakness, it has cost us games in the past, and goal kicking is more vital in the World Cup than at any other time. Pushing one of our guys up to 80% would make a huge difference.

 

[cyclopath]

I have watched him a bit in recent club rugby, and he has kicked well for Uni. He and O'Connor seem to have the most stable styles, compared to El Toro Coopero and Gilbert. I agree none of them scream "pick me for goal kicking alone". Hopefully it won't be our Achilles' heel at this RWC.

 

[RedsHappy]

Which makes it rather odd that Australia doesn't have a full-time kicking coach. It's a clear weakness, it has cost us games in the past, and goal kicking is more vital in the World Cup than at any other time. Pushing one of our guys up to 80% would make a huge difference.

Richo, as I think you'd know from my previous posts on this important topic, I am in 100% agreement with your concern, and assessment. It's extraordinary that, given we have had no 'natural' a la Steyn etc that we have not made this investment in specialised coaching capability. I was aghast when Robbie said in April that 'JO'C in 12 months has mastered goal kicking...'. Unfortunately, this simply is not proving true in pressure games, and we are far from the pressure peaks that will come in a knock-out comp as is the WC.

In 2003 and 2007 respectively, it was Flatley's brilliant 100% kicking that got us to a Final's extra time, and Mortlock's final kicking miss at penalty goal that lost us the QF....so the lessons of history are overwhelmingly clear.

If we win the RWC by a nice margin of try points, I guess no one will care. If we lose via a hapless kicking display, it will be a loss well foretold (by a systematic lack of development over recent years) and potentially preventable.

 

[mark_s]

This gives me yet another chance to say why I don’t think the wobbs can win this time round unless one of our goal kickers strike a purple patch of form. As a team we don’t yet consistently accumulate points in big games and we are still by and large relying on scoring more tries than the opposition. Yet the last four world cups have been won by teams that consistently accumulate points, mainly by penalties and sometimes field goals. It’s a combination of have the necessary field position, taking the points when on offer and having a kicker(s) capable of capitalizing.

Take the Wobbs in 1999, we won the semi final without scoring a try and accumulated 35 points in the final yet only scored two tries. On the flip side, for all the controversy about the NZ V France 2007 qtr final, NZ would still have won comfortably if they had of focused on turning field position and dominance into points from early in the second half. The Wobbs V England qtr final in 2007 is another example, if stirlo gets that kickable goal on fulltime we are through to the semi and anything could happen. Behind all the BS and controversy, I reckon this is the main lesson the Cartel learned from their loss in Cardiff in 2007 and its why the blacks won’t make the same mistake again.

To put some stats to it, the winners of the last 4 RWC's have averaged 1 try per game in both the semi final and the finals which is usually the key knock out games. Even this is inflated by the 3 tries SA scored in their Semi Vs the argies in 2007 (no disrespect to the Argies). Exclude that game and the RWC winners are averaging 0.7 tries per game in the semis and finals. (I have also left the qtr finals out as you can get some quite uneven match ups there).