I only do it so you don’t have to.

Actually, the truth is I was 12 years old at the time and full of the obsession with a sport that many kids at that age have. I can tell you without looking it up the results, and usually the scorers of every Irish international match between 1969 and about 1973-74. I would struggle even to tell you who won the corresponding matches in recent years. That’s what old age does for you.

Although you are right to say that the bulk of the Barbarians team was made up of the SUCESSFUL Lions squad of the previous season. At that time, it was unheard of to ask a player from outside the Four Home Unions to play for the Barbarians against a touring SH side. Although there was a tradition, upheld in that game, of playing non capped players along with as many of the elite as they could muster.

In fact, of the 15 players on the Barbarians team that day nine of them had played in one or all of the tests on the tour against New Zealand the previous year, but even then, that doesn’t tell the full story.

The Barbarians props were Ray McLoughlin and Sandy Carmichael, who would both have been the first choice test players in New Zealand had they been fit. However, a week before the first test they had both played in the notorious match against Canterbury which was more of a dockyard brawl than a rugby match. Carmichael had his lights punched out so often that he couldn’t see out of either eye and one of his cheekbones was shattered; McLoughlin, by contrast, suffered a broken finger while retaliating with more anger than skill. Both were invalided of the tour.

Fergus Slattery, the Barbarians flanker that day, had been selected for the last test on the tour but had to cry off through illness. The rest of the Barbarians pack was made up of three test stalwarts from the tour–Willie John McBride at lock, John Pullin at hooker and Derek Quinnell at number eight–and two players uncapped at the time, Tom David on the flank and Wilkinson at lock.

The backline was a closer approximation to the Lions test side. Two notable absentees were the by-then retired Barry John at fly half and Gerald Davies on the wing. John’s replacement Phil Bennett was perhaps an even better runner than John had been and both the wingers who did play, David Duckham and John Bevan had been test players in New Zealand. The other four Barbarians backs Gareth Edwards at scrum half, Mike Gibson and John Dawes in the centre and JPR Williams at full back had all occupied those same positions in all four tests in New Zealand.

So nine players who did play tests on tour against New Zealand and another three that would have done if fit. Followed by yet another (Bennett) who went on two Lions tours and captained one of them. Not a bad scratch team at all.

Don’t even bother replying. Just think about it.

PS
I have seen that try so often that I used to be able to recite Cliff Morgan’s commentary backwards. Although I haven’t done so for many years. Student humour, eh?

As for the try, yes, plenty of great tries scored in both rugby codes over the years.

What makes a great game is often very subjective, & therefore a personal choice. This match is up there, but I think there are plenty of other games that come close.

I’ve seen plenty in rugby league.

Great try and all, and no doubt there was a lot of other attack during the game, but at the end of the day it was a Barbarians game which to my mind disqualifies it from any “greatest ever” list. Australia played a couple of terrific games against the Barbarians in the 1980s, and a Campese try in one of them was an exhibition of individual brilliance which can’t often have been surpassed and stands up very well against the Edwards try – but no-one suggests they were the greatest games ever, and rightly so, because these games are a glorified exhibition (and, in the case of British journalists, because the Barbarians lost).

Give me All Blacks 39, Aust 35 in 1990 any day.