The salivating prospect of Yaqeen Ahmed versus Beauden Barrett

OPINION: Of all the midweek delights rugby fans will be treated to when the All Blacks take on South Africa’s four biggest club teams during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, perhaps none is sweeter than the prospect of the uber-talented Yaqeen Ahmed taking on the seasoned brilliance of Beauden Barrett.

It’s a delicious prospect, and one that may very well be realised.

New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie has confirmed that Barrett will feature against the Stormers, while Ahmed could get his big opportunity on Friday at Cape Town Stadium after he was left out of the Stormers XXIII matchday squad for their Currie Cup match against the Sharks XV.

And what a helluva way to make your Stormers debut.

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The 35-year-old Barrett is set to make his first appearance under Rennie after missing out on the Nations Championship victories over France, Italy, and Ireland, with rising star flyhalf Ruben Love preferred in the driving seat.

Speaking to the media ahead of their departure, Rennie praised Barrett’s support to Love, adding that the experienced 10 would get a run in the Mother City.

“It’s tough for him because he’s probably trained well enough to get an opportunity, but we felt that Ruben needed time in the seat and he’s done a really good job there, so Beauden gets his opportunity against the Stormers and is keen to rip in.”

Barrett is one of four flyhalves in the 44-man touring squad, alongside Love, Damian McKenzie, and uncapped Josh Jacomb.

Barrett, who burst onto the Test scene in 2012, has amassed 144 Test caps.

When it seemed as though Dan Carter’s greatness would leave a void when he retired into rugby immortality, Barrett brought hope with every linebreak, every 50-metre burst, and every audacious kick-pass and offload.

He wasn’t the same kind of flyhalf; he redefined the role with his love for lurking close to the gain line as opposed to deep in the pocket like most 10s. His instinctive, running game created countless game-breaking possibilities and ripped many a team’s defence to shreds.

He was always ready to pounce, to create opportunities for those around him, or to simply use his devastating pace to go it alone.

The back-to-back World Rugby Player of the Year might not be the men in black’s first-choice flyhalf or even as central to their game as in years gone by, but his talent and overall balling ability is still there. Whether he comes in at 10 or 15, he remains one of the toughest tests for opposing teams.

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Ahmed, at just 20, is on the other side of his rugby career.

Yet another product of South Africa’s ever-producing flyhalf factory, he is one of a string of 10s competing for the highest honours.

While Handre Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are the specialist flyhalves in the mix for the clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires, the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, and Lions will get the opportunity to impress against international players.

Ahmed shone in the SA ‘A’ game against Zimbabwe in Gqeberha and scored a superb individual try, with the only real taint on his game being the red card he received.

He was outstanding in South Africa’s Under-20 World Championship title defence, slotting 11 of the Junior Boks’ 16 points against France in Tbilisi, while he also had a try disallowed.

Apart from his individual contributions in the team’s 16-5 victory in the final, the very traits that have him so highly rated were on full display throughout the tournament, with his calm, mature game management, combined with his tactical and goal-kicking and work on defence, key to Kevin Foote’s team’s success.

Should the rugby world be treated to an Ahmed-Barrett show in the Stormers’ series-opener against South Africa’s greatest rivals, it’s hard to think of a more exciting way to kick off a rugby spectacle.