As for the Baa-Baas game SBW played well, expectations of him was high but he’s only played a dozon or so games in his new code but like mortlock said he held his own taking everything into consideration even Deans had only positve comments to say about him

As for what country he’ll play for there’s only two options really The All Blacks or Samoa as for the Wallabies I don’t think so
If he wanted to play for Australia he would of done it already in league the fact is SBW wanted to play state of origin in league but had to chose to play origin or for the kiwis and we all know what his choice was The Kiwis
As for playing for Samoa like he said anything is possible but the fact is SBW wants to be successful in union he wants to be the best centre in the world one day he’ll want to play for one of the most successful rugby team in the world The All Blacks but if he does play for the Manu Samoa he’ll be welcomed with open arms and Samoan supporters all over the world would be buzzing with excitment. I know i will

Better than okay in attack, less than okay in defence (positioning not actual tackling). Overall a pass mark but hard to tell his true capabilities playing in a scratch side with no cohesion. Like Lote, he has all the physical attributes but whether he can learn the positioning/angles and other nuances which are very different in Union to League. Lote couldn’t which is why he is on the wing although he has the physical capability to be a damaging 13 or 15.

I would be happy for an Austrlain province to trial him on a S14 contract but I wouldn’t be measuring him up for a gold/black/blue jersey just yet.

SBW seemed to take things fairly realistically – he knows he has a long way to go. He did well, all things considered. This is really his first exposure to high-pressure football – he has never played Origin or Test, and he has only played part of a season with a not-terribly-good Rugby provincial side.

Is he interested in becoming a Wallaby? I doubt it, but he is sensible to play that up. It can only increase whatever offer he might get from NZRU.

It will be interesting to see how Craig Gower performs this weekend – he has played Origin, he has captained a side to an NRL Premiership and he has two full seasons with Bayonne, which is better than Toulon. He knows high-pressure football and should do considerably better than SBW.

You make some very shrewd judgements. I have been chuckling away at the way both sides of the rugby divide approach the SBW debate.

The animated league side will tell you he is a traitor and deserves his comeuppeance, the union side chuckles at their rage (see Fitzsimmons) but then swoon all over him like smittened school boys. The Fitz files said he could be the next Dally Messenger, Spiro compares him to Jonah Lomu. While one side step and an offload and he is declared a resounding success. Here the analysts fall into the trap of most parents and some talent scouts, one flash of brillance and they think their beloved has all the makings of star.

Any comparison to a great who did it at the highest level continually compared with a bit of marketing exercise is delusional.

I’d argue most people who actually watched the game would have thought SBW was okay.

His performance clearly was that exceptional because rather than letting any feats on the field keep him in the papers he had to opt for the pathetic “I can play for the Wallabies too” line.

And didn’t they just lap it up…bring on the bearded lady.

Thank you, made my day.

I love your enthusiasm for all things Dollar Bill. His principled move to France, his chiselled physique in the boxing video, his glorious, glorious, glorious debut for the most famous of famous Barbarians. What is more now he says he can play for Wallabies! Will the excitement ever cease.

It strikes me that you have the opinion that the Telegraph has no place covering Union, that is the place of the Fairfax press. Furthermore, if are they going to cover union, they should only ever write with flowery prose about what a wonderful spectacle it was. SBW? There is no place for an opinion other than that he could be a superstar and the next Jonah Lomu.

Any opportunity to denigrate a code? Instead of sniping at the Telegraph from here, why not just wander over and have a word with fairfax colleague Peter Fitzsimmons if you have a principled stance against that sort of thing.

The Telegraph does have a number of rugby union writers, and sure there league writers may comment on Union. But so what? You have more than once commented on rugby league on this site.

If Union is getting more exposure in the Telegraph surely this is a good thing for the game. And don’t pretend it is always negative, after all the Super 14 only exists on Fox which owned by the same bloke you owns the telegraph so why would he want one hand slapping the other?

Sure the Telegraph are just copy and pasting ARU press releases and jumping on cue after some prematch canapes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a right to an opinion, even if it is different to the establishment’s.

By the way, what were the stats of the NSW Origin centres? You must know if you have quoted them.

All I was going to say was that SBW was never a superstar in League. He was a celebrity.

He played too few games to build any kind of reputation other than being a superbly naturally talented athlete that made big impacts when (and if) he played.

I reckon you’ve got to play at least 50% of the games in a season for a couple of years to be considered any more than ‘promising’.

And promising he is – i reckon he’ll mature into a nice Rugby player – a Superstar – nup, a celebrity – yep.

The pre-match and post match comment on Fox and Channel 7 was full of hyperbole about a bloke who’s barely played the game, who is famous for being injured for half his adult life, who is famous for walking out on his League contract (including pre-arranged community support appearances), who is famous for running around near the Mediterranien for a few months, who is famous for wanting to be an All Black and now a Wallaby, who is famous for … being famous. And, spare me – Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger and Garrick Morgan were big like Jonah, too, but fairly useless at rugby!

But the almost always mighty Spiro eulogises him for almost scoring a try, for almost scoring another try, for almost giving a try setting up pass, for getting a good ball way (“admittedly on the bounce”), and for making one sizzling run.

I saw a bloke mostly out of position, tackled to a full stop several times by conventional and competent technique, losing the ball several times when stopped, making one and a half noticeable runs – both of which were stopped – and making buggar all tackles! And they gave it a Barbarians jumper before it knew how to play the game – that’s high farce.

This is stock standard shrill media mania about how Manny Edmonds is the new saviour of rugby, then Fatso Turinui, nearly Braith Anasta, Lot$a Tuqiri, Medicare Mat (at centre, um – winger, um first five – um full back), the horribly immature solo runner / too late pass giver Quade Cooper, Drew Mitchell (oops – not yet the best ever – oh, hang on, now he is again), non tackling poor passing Beale and, more recently, the also horribly immature and star struck O’Connor kid who has played little or no club rugby but spent 15 minutes on the field at the end to save the entire international season.

Way more importantly, and way more accurately, Australia started a match without its characteristic tentaviness, moved the ball swiftly across the paddock, caught the ball (Eureka! – they actually caught the ball) and showed much more fluid backs’ cohesion than previously. The opposition was a cobbled together rabble, so I ignore any assessment of the forwards, or the replacement riddled second half.

At last Deans has got Ashley Two Fathers to stick his boot into his pocket and use it only for good purpose for a whole one match; and that other over-rated teenager, Barnes from QLD, actually stopped trying to score himself every time he got the ball.

From the All Blacks’ perspective – I did not see McAlister (a second five, I say) do enough to unseat Donald from first five.

How good did O’Conner look in his brief stint?

To put his performance in context, replace SBW in the Barbarians with Timana Tahu after Tahu’s first disrupted season in Super 14 and would there have been any difference?

SBW will need to decide upon his playing future in the SH if he’s seriously considering challenging for a spot in the All Blacks or even the Wallabies.

His height and ability to pass the ball in the tackle will make him a difficult proposition for opponents and will create space and opportunities for support players, this is a similar trait to the skills of English midfielder Will Greenwood. I don’t know if he has the speed for a centre to get on the outside of a sliding defence but he showed nice touches as well as obvious inexperience against the Baa Baas.

James don’t understand your comment about delivering promised test match intensity, I didn’t notice any of the Baa Baas playing with test match intensity and several of them are former test players and would have been expected to lead by example and deed.

This was an exhibition match dressed up and served as a contest of international quality and intensity. There’s no point in seeing it for anything else than what it was.

SBW is a big athlete, but Jonah was a goliath.

I met him a few times, and the sheer size of the man was humbling.

I remember when he was a bit unfit in the late nineties, and came into a test match clocking 128kg.

128!!!!!

He then slimmed down, and was lean 120.

Personally, I was a bit dissapointed with Sonny. There were a couple of times when he was near the loose ball, and he just stood down to pick it up, almost as if he had subconsciously heard “Surrender, move, move”.

Whereas the hungry Wallabies threw their bodies on the deck to win the pill.

Alright considering it’s only 10 months since he’s been in the game, but he didn’t deliver the promised test match intensity.

The Wallabies did.

Amazing Deans could get them to play like that after just 1 week together.

So will he return to his roots in Auckland, will he aim to improve his skills and move to Christchurch, or will it be the Force that make him the offer he’s looking for??

Oh, Wallabies bennalong? Who were they again? Oh right, I remember now… yeah, I thought they played well…

Did they perform well? Yes!

For a first time outing they were fantastic ! The hand skills were great and on a number of occasions the backline looked like the Crusaders with that two-line attack creating the inside pass option.
I’ve been waiting ! Is this season too early ?

The kicking was great and you’re going to see it, like it or not. Barnes and Giteau have both developed tactical nouse and kicking for the corners has always been a smart option, ELV’S or not.
And the high balls were high and contestable — Relief!

Talking about the Money , switching and pressure, what about Robbie Deans ! ???
Sure, the switch wasn’t codes but to leave his beloved New Zealand and expose himself to criticism from both side of the Tasman took guts and a fantastic amount of self belief.

Christ I’m glad we got him !