Damian de Allende has named Jordie Barrett as the standout opponent of his 102-Test career, describing the All Blacks centre's skill set as "incredible" ahead of Saturday's series decider in Baltimore.
The 34-year-old Springbok, who has played 12 straight seasons for South Africa since his debut, singled out Barrett after three consecutive Tests against New Zealand in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Soweto. De Allende's assessment carries weight given the calibre of centres he has faced over more than a decade at international level.
"I've been lucky to play a lot of rugby against a lot of fantastic centres," De Allende said. "At the start of my career I got to play against Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Sonny Bill Williams and South African players Frans Steyn, Andre Esterhuizen and Jan Serfontien. But at the moment the one guy who really does stand out for me is Jordie Barrett."
Learning from the opposition
De Allende, who earned his 100th cap in the August opener against the All Blacks, emphasised that he continues to learn from opponents despite his veteran status. Barrett's versatility and technical ability have particularly impressed the Springbok midfielder during the recent series.
"I think his skill set is incredible. He's got the ability to do everything on the field at the moment and to play against him these past few weeks it's been a real pleasure," De Allende said. "I've always liked to learn a lot on the field, especially playing against my opposition, and I feel I've learnt a lot from Jordie Barrett on the field."
Barrett has been a key figure for New Zealand throughout the series, though his outside partner Quinn Tupaea was injured in the third Test in Soweto. De Allende's focus on the All Blacks centres reflects the enduring challenge posed by New Zealand's midfield, with all the foreign centres he named as career highlights wearing the black jersey.
The Springboks travel to Baltimore with a 2-1 series lead, setting up a decisive encounter that will test whether De Allende's continued capacity to absorb lessons from elite opponents can help secure the series. His willingness to identify areas for improvement after 102 caps suggests the learning curve remains steep at the highest level, even for South Africa's most experienced midfielders.