When William Percy Carpmael brought to life the concept of the Barbarians club almost a century ago, he would never have envisaged the commercial enterprise it has become.
Rugby 365 reports that when the BaaBaas host Australia at the Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, the game will be a far cry from the social affair it was when the Carpmael dream became reality on December 27, 1890, at Friary Field, Hartlepool.
Now, with massive sponsorships the team has taken on a far more global feel than the ‘local’ outfit that played with flair, courage, spirit and passion back then.
Commercial issues aside – and they are being paid large sums for the “privilege” of an invitation – the modern players and coaches still relish the opportunity of appearing in the famous black-and-white-hooped jersey.
Barbarians coach Jake White believes that players who, like him, are new to being involved with Rugby Union’s most famous invitational side relish playing Australia.
All Black captain Richie McCaw, fresh from leading New Zealand to a grand slam with last Saturday’s 32-6 win over England at Twickenham, will make his first appearance for the BaaBaas alongside current and former Test teammates Joe Rokocoko, Rico Gear and Jerry Collins.
The World Cup-winning South Africa coach, White, has included several of the team he helped guide to World Cup glory last year, including victorious captain John Smit, who will skipper the Barbarians.
Also in the line-up are Smit’s fellow World Cup-winners Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez, Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha and Johann Muller.
On the bench are Australia’s World Cup-winning scrumhalf George Gregan – officially retired from international rugby – and dashing Wales wing Shane Williams, recently chosen as the International Rugby Board Player of the Year.
“The important thing is that a number of these players haven’t played for the BaaBaas – players like Richie [McCaw], Bakkies Botha, Jean de Villiers and John Smit – and I think it is wonderful they get the opportunity to play alongside such wonderful players,” said White.
“A guy like Sean Fitzpatrick was a great captain of New Zealand, but never got the chance to play for the Barbarians and I am sure he would have loved to play in a team like this.”
White and Australian assistant Eddie Jones, who played a backroom role in the Springboks’ World Cup triumph, have also upheld a Barbarians tradition by selecting Western Province back row forward Nick Koster as the uncapped player.
The match has been organised as part of the British Olympic Association’s celebrations of the centenary of the first Olympics in London, where the Games will return in four years’ time.
Players to watch:
For the Barbarians: Such is the nature of this BaaBaas outfit that each of the 22 players is an entertainer in his own right. However, South Africa’s first – and only – centurion Percy Montgomery will appear on the world stage for the last time, having also retired from Test rugby. But if it is excitement you want – and that is what this game is all about – you will look at players like Joe Rokocoko, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana and Francois Steyn. Up front the inclusion of players like Richie McCaw, Schalk Burger, Jerry Collins, Bakkies Botha and John Smit (as captain), will ensure the pack has plenty of grunt and guile.
For Australia: There is no doubt the spotlight will shine very brightly on teenage sensation James O’Connor, as he makes his first start in a Wallaby jersey, at fullback. Not yet 19 and less than a year after leaving school, he is touted as one of Australia’s brightest prospects. By the nature of this Wallaby team other youngsters like Quade Cooper, Brett Sheehan and, if he comes off the bench, Peter Kimlin will be watched closely to see how they shape up against one of the most powerful BaaBaas teams assembled in a very long time.
Head to head: It is a classic case of the ‘old versus the new’ – the BaaBaas’ veteran fullback Percy Montgomery (at age 34) against the Wallabies’ 18-year-old No.15 James O’Connor. It is an exciting prospect. The one has youthful exuberance and pace aplenty. The other has the experience of 100 internationals. He may not be as quick, but he knows the shortcuts. At flyhalf there’s an intriguing battle between two exciting youngsters – South African Francois Steyn (BaaBaas) against Australian Quade Cooper. Both are off-the-cuff players, who are prone to shocking errors, but equally capable of amazing feats and moments of brilliance.
Prediction: It would be unfair to predict a winner, as this game is not about winning or losing – although nobody ever plays to loose. However, we can comfortable predict that there will be lots of excitement, as both coaches have given their team license to entertain.
Previous results:
1948: The Barbarians won 9-6, Cardiff
1958: The Barbarians won 11-6, Cardiff
1967: Australia won 17-11, Cardiff
1976: The Barbarians won 19-7, Cardiff
1984: Australia won 37-30, Cardiff
1988: Australia won 40-22, Cardiff
1992: Australia won 30-20, London
1996: Australia won 39-12, London
2001: Australia won 49-35, Cardiff
Teams:
Barbarians: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Rico Gear, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Francois Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Johann Muller, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Census Johnson, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Federico Pucciariello.
Replacements: 16 Mark Regan, 17 Rodney Blake, 18 Chris Jack, 19 Nick Koster, 20 George Gregan, 21 Ollie Smith, 22 Shane Williams.
Australia: 15 James O’Connor, 14 Lote Tuqiri, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 11. Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Richard Brown, 7 George Smith, 6 Dean Mumm, 5 Hugh McMeniman, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Sekope Kepu
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Peter Kimlin, 19 David Pocock, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Lachie Turner, 22 Drew Mitchell
Date: Wednesday, December 3
Venue: Wembley Stadium London
Kick-off: 19.45 (19.45 GMT)
Weather: It is a night game, but the prospect of rain is small. It will be cold, with a high of 2°C and a low of -3°C
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), Steve Terheege (England)
TMO: Geoff Warren (England)
Tweet
Barbarians have only won 3 out of 9 matches. 😯
That’ll be 4 out of 10 tonight then.
Baabaas by 20 plus in a high scoring game.
I would have prefered a SH referee though.
is this the match thread?
@robdylan (Comment 3) :
I think we can call it that. 😉
Or did you have a dedicated piece in mind?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : no – not at all! Just wondered at the timing…
@robdylan (Comment 5) :
I won’t be around for most of the evening, (heading to IKEA) and put it up early incase anyone wanted to talk about it. 🙂
Go- BOK-barians!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) : sweet! I’ll try keep a bit of commentary going if I can
BOKS to make the Baa-Baas look good! 😈
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
Game kicks off at 10:45 my time. If I am not back from IKEA by then, please send out a search party. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 10) : I feel for you. I LOATHE that place
@robdylan (Comment 11) :
I don’t have to much of a problem with it, actually enjoy it. If only the kids would behave 😀
We will be getting some bookcase/display units. So after running and cycling tomorrow am i will be putting up cabinets in the afternoon. (Expect me to be grumpy if, I’m online :smile:)
Only on a blog can two people have two different conversations with each other at the same time. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : he he.
Billy bookcases are great… I have lots of them 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 14) : 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : Ha ha ha … true…
@robdylan (Comment 11) : There should be a law against shops like that. The layout not the items that is.
@McLovin (Comment 17) : agree completely
I’M GOING TO THE GAME!!!!
@robdylan (Comment 19) : Enjoy! Remember to wave for the tv camera.
@McLovin (Comment 20) : oh, I will 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 19) : Sharksworld Banner ?
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 22) : if only I’d had more time to plan this
@robdylan (Comment 23) : Streak?
@McLovin (Comment 24) : Or maybe not such a good idea when it’s minus whatever outside.
@McLovin(Comment 24) : Good call 😀
One for the team Rob
@McLovin (Comment 25) :
There wasn’t much to see to begin with – the odds are way too long in this cold. 😆
45,000 tickets sold apparently.
So only half full.
Burger at 8
Man, I’m so excited about this game tonight. Such a fantastic looking Baa Baa’s side. Let’s hope the ref allows it to flow.
I’m predicting a MOM display from Steyn at 10…the boy has just been itching to play from the start!
@McLovin (Comment 28) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 12) : Do you not “work”? 😉 😆
Anthem time.
@Villie (Comment 32) : Work is overated. 😀
Kick-off straight out from Steyn.
hey hey guys. ah rugby, just what i need to take my mind of the fact that some fkr stole my bicycle today. my beautiful single speed schwinn madison!
Lovely step & break from Monty. 😎
@knersboy (Comment 36) : Not good.
Bakkies seems lus for a scrap.
@knersboy (Comment 36) : Sorry to hear that Kners. Where in the world are you?
@McLovin (Comment 34) : I agree…but it does pay the bills!!
@Villie (Comment 41) : Absolutely
Aus try. 👿
7-0 Aus
@McLovin (Comment 38) : @Villie (Comment 41) : yeah what can you do.
I am in stellenbosch villie, also got a bike stolen when i lived in holland (fancy that), but it was a kak bike. now i have to drive to work, boring.
@knersboy (Comment 45) : Let’s hope the barsteward who can’t leave someone else’s property alone gets what he deserves sometime soon!
Baa Baa’s making some silly mistakes now. Aussie defence is good though!
Aus going for posts. Bit of booing.
10-0 Aus
Baa baas get a warning. And Aus going for goal again.
13-0 Aus 23min
Steyn going for a 50m dropgoal.
Aus defence rock solid.
Baa-baas NOT going for goal. Cheers all round.
Steyn going for a 60m drop. 👿
Fight. 😯
Looks like I put the mockers on Steyn!! 🙁 🙁
13-3 BB 35min
Stuart Barnes…how the hell was Muller supposed to let that go? It would have been suicide!
13-3 Aus I mean
Baa-baas going for goal again.
13-6 Aus 38min
Half Time
13-6
Kak game. Glad there’s beer
Williams on for Percy.
Habs at fullback
McCaw over. TMO
No try. 5m scrum Baa-baas.
Baa-baas camped on the try line. But no cigar.
TMO again.
Another 5m scrum.
Williams knock on.
Dunning on a stretcher.
Uncontested scrums.
Kepu also off.
Pen Aus.
@McLovin (Comment 75) : Scrum.
Koster on.
@McLovin (Comment 77) : …and some others.
Dunning snapped an achilles. 😯
Game’s gone very flat.
Zzzzzzzz.
De Villiers hammy eina.
Try Collins!!
Steyn misses
13-11 Aus 63min
Steyn misses another. 👿
13-11 Aus 73min
Steyn misses a drop. 👿
Aus try.
I’m going to bed.
That was awful. Rude letter to follow
By the sounds of it Steyn had a night he’d rather want to forget.
Should have played him at 15 when Percy went off.
So Jake White and Eddie Jones can’t even get structure into the Baaba team that has the worlds best talent at their disposal… 🙄
IMO James O’Connor had a blinder 😎 Fransie “no pass” Steyn say no more… 🙄
@Charlie (Comment 92) :
Wrong blog… 😀
We can safely say the Steyn experiment didn’t work out – but PdV knew that already…
@blckshrk – BUCS (Comment 93) : And many suggest a “Rugby for Dummies” manual for PDV… 👿
Charlie
The Baa Baas didn’t have much time to prepare. 🙄
@wpw (Comment 95) : 🙄 The Baaba’s team that have beaten the Boks last year had the same time to prepare and they played against a more experienced Bok team then the Oz XV… 😉
@Charlie (Comment 96) :
Damn. You are actually spot on… 😳
@wpw (Comment 97) :
Richie was everywhere last night nuh.
I know Mac said Steyn should not have his flair coached out of him but he is in dire need of some serious coaching to save his career….he is going backwards in terms of performances.
You Sharks fans should be grateful you got Pienaar to play at ten, Steyn was woeful.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 101) :
I’m grateful.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 101) : There has to be a stronger word.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 101) :
Dude, please check your mail… 😯
@wpw (Comment 104) : which one ?
@PJLD (Comment 103) : For the sake of keeping it decent i thought ye old English would suffice. He played like our favourite bit of anatomy 😆
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 105) :
sauce at sharksworld.co.za
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 106) : 😆 😆
@wpw (Comment 107) : wpw – not getting anything – try 2dolla at gmail.com
I saw Pieter de Villiers at Gardens Centre the other day – former France tight head prop.
The dude’s legs are like tree trunks… 😯
@wpw (Comment 110) : You are so a WP supporter 😉 😆
Got the mail, replied. Go for it.
@wpw (Comment 110) : So he would be the real “tank” then??? 😀
Conrad Jantjes is more one-dimensional than Stefan Terblanche and doesn’t have the finishing ability.
😈 😈
Fester was a better coach than Rassie and Alistair put together.
😈 😈
But even with all that, the best news of the year was finding out that WPW is a Sharks supporter and was shouting for the Sharks in the final louder than anyone else. 😛 😛
Slow fishing today, suppose that is why they call it fishing and not catching. 😆
@Dancing Bear (Comment 114) : Thats not fishing – thats tossing dynamite into the water
@Dancing Bear (Comment 113) :
Francois Steyn is overrated!!!
* notice no smileys…
@Dancing Bear (Comment 114) : Wrong bait guy, try crayfish tail instead of black mussel.
😆 Much better!
@wpw (Comment 118) : Nothing but love WPW…..Notice I am keeping TGHMEA off limits. 😀
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 117) : 😆 No doubt WS…..like shocking fish.
@PJLD (Comment 119) : Why would I use crayfish tail to catch fish, if I had crayfish tail, I would eat it. 😀
@Dancing Bear (Comment 122) : That’s like these idiots here on the Chesapeake Bay using soft shell crabs as bait to catch black drum. 😆 That is like $6 every time you throw a line in the water.
The Stormers’ second best centre is a Sharks and Lions reject. 😀
@wpw (Comment 118) : I’ve been saying that all season.
Did Oubaas ever make it back from IKEA?
@Dancing Bear (Comment 123) : There was a time many mny years ago where Crayfish wasn’t as scarce as it is now and having an uncle in the fishing industry made the taste of crayfish a bit like peanut butter, used the buggers for bait we had that much around.
Things have changed 😥
@Dancing Bear (Comment 124) : Schalk Vritz?
@PJLD (Comment 127) : 😆 Nope, he is fourth best, the third best is also a Sharks reject (Puke), second best is Bobs! 😀
@wpw (Comment 118) : Old news… 🙄
@PJLD (Comment 126) : It sucks doesn’t it.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 128) : You do know Bobes wore the streeptrui before anything else right?
@PJLD (Comment 131) : And you’re proud of this why? 😉
Because when he first pulled it on he was a freaking excellent player.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 122) : me too
@robdylan (Comment 134) : I’ve always said you had good taste Rob. 😀
@Dancing Bear (Comment 135) : why thank you… takes a connoisseur to know another 🙂
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 106) :
Yeab but what THAT bit of anatomy is, depends on if you are a Shark or WP supporter. 😛