Eddie Jones is actually insane if he doesn’t pick this ‘world class’ Wasps star soon
Wasps may have fallen to a disappointing home defeat to Munster yesterday, but one huge positive Lee Blackett can take from the game was the performance of Alfie Barbeary.
The 21-year-old is only just returning from a series of injuries that have kept him out of action throughout most of 2021, but he showed in the first half at the Coventry Building Society Arena why there is so much hype around him.
The young hooker/back row scored the opening try of the match and it pretty much showed off everything he can do. Playing at No8, he was able to bust through the Munster defence and get an offload off to Thomas Young deep inside his own half. A few seconds later he was receiving a pass from Michael Le Bourgeois inside Munster’s 22 to put him one on one with fullback Patrick Campbell. A brilliant step from Barbeary saw him running under the posts to score to cap off a try he had created.
Listen to the noise 😍😍
Alfie Bearbeary gets @WaspsRugby off the mark 💪#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/4qCjqxXboR
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) December 12, 2021
Following the try, Barbeary’s Wasps teammate Malakai Fekitoa described him as ‘world class’ on Twitter. For a player that has played alongside such legendary loose forwards as Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw and Kieran Read for the All Blacks, that is some endorsement for his colleague.
Alfie Barbeary again, World class 🔥💯
— Malakai Fekitoa (@MalakaiFekitoa) December 12, 2021
Barbeary was taken off at half time, as Blackett stressed that these are still early days in his return to rugby following a string of injuries, but the glimpses he has shown so far prove he is close to replicating his devastating form of 2020.
A wonderful end to 2020 for Wasps led to Barbeary’s call into the England team, and though injuries have prevented him from earning his first cap, he will undoubtedly be on Eddie Jones’ radar. The question is whether he can stay healthy and get enough game time under his belt ahead of the Six Nations in February. If he does, Jones will have a hard time trying to justify not picking him.
