Barbarians to make first trip to Australia

that's gonna be amazing but we're very far away. I will move to Australia one day!!

I agree with Sol, the Baa-baas value their independence in inviting the players. They will not be interested in points scoring in the intercode battles in OZ. I suspect they will have sounded out the SH players following the Wembley match and they will be following the selection process of the Lions, but don't forget the French, Italians and the Argies or indeed the Russians, Romanians and other smaller nations who have all been invited in the past to make up the Baa-baas squad. I hope if they follow the traditional NH tour and they play some mid week games against either regional sides or a team made up of club players. Not only will it allow all the squad to have a run out but is great way of spreading the Baa-baas concept.

Sol they have been baptised . Your point however reinforces my League mates point any selection of SBW et al diminishes the Barbarians selection criteria no one elses.

Yes Westy : converting from league to union apparently washes a man clean. The Barbarians Club themselves ought to think long and hard about just whom is invited to play for the club. It is the Barbarians decision who should be invited and not the ARU's. Pursuing converts with 5 minutes rugby experience in their c.v. and atrocious off field behaviour records does not strike me as a positive honoring of the Barbarian legacy. What message does it send to established rugby internationals who miss out in favour of NRL miscreants? It also seems likely that rather than steal thunder from the Origin match, the Barbarians visit will actually give Origin and the NRL global publicity it would never have otherwise had. Every news and rugby media outlet will mention the coinciding scheduling and compare local crowd and tv interest.

Pothale it is a very good marketing ploy during league's premier SOO series. The ARu know that the chances of filling Sydney Stadium with a Wallabies v Italy test were minimal and transferred the game to the 25000 Canberra stadium. As Central North highlights it is aimed at getting television and media coverage at a time League dominates and a better cash injection from the Sydney faithful then you would get from a Sydney test with Italy. many stained on supporters may go to a barbarians game rather than some of the second rate games from recent NH touring sides. My reading is that rugby may be losing the promotional media war in relation to SBW. The paradox is Gower has been much the better convert. At first i treated the gibes about SBW being injury prone as just bad blood. I am not so sure. Out for 13 weeks and 2 x 25 minute second half performances is limited. I had a point made to me by one leaguie " I thought you blokes picked good players to play in the Barbarians. If you pick Sonny you make it a joke. He is at the moment simply not a good player. One difference between us is that no one gets picked in a SOO as a gimmick" I may not like the message but it has some validity. i follow rugby and Gasnier and especially SBW would not normally have a chance of being invited to play for the Barbarians. Contrary to some on this site Gower's form recent behaviour and committment to his team is one of the few exleaguies who may deserve an invitation. The reports i have received is that Mr Gower as a small fish in a big pond has done some growing up.The current Italian coaching staff is only to aware of his past blemishes.

Has Australian Rugby really improved with Deans taking over? Greg Smith had a better win loss record and got the sack after being thrashed by South Africa just like the Wallabies were this year.

Robyn Brown try rugbyzone.com you can buy the videos of a lot of games including all the S14

Robyn- I can post you a copy if you like? Email me at shazza687@hotmail.com

If Gasnier, Gower and SBW are seen as the best of the best in Aus, the NH can breathe a sigh of relief - this year must have been a temporary blip. Have to admit though that the proposed Barbarians mix could resemble the one that played Australia in Twickenham - mainly filled with SH players. But why is that a bad thing? it's meant to be an invitational team with top players from around the world. And since all the top players are from the SH - according to a few heads around these parts - I reckon you should have a good match on your hands. there might be one or two token NH players in the squad - Jonny Wilkinson and his knee will be able to come. And whatever B&I players that don't make the Lions - that's most of the England team and Josh Lewsey. What more could you want? :)

Sam, Read the same article about Gasiner, Gower and Sonny Bill. Must continue to frustrate the Union fans in Aus that the only way to get media and public attention is focusing on league converts, I thought they were promised "the best of the best" no it looks like they'll get blokes you have only had a handful of games. If SBW gets the chop from his club at least he'll have plenty of spare time on his hands. Of course the big problem is for all the Union fans who refuse to accept League converts then being told they are "the best of the best". However, O'Neill is the master of announcing something to get attention and then having zero follow up.

Barbarian's matches are in reality exhibition matches for PR and securing extra cash.Sure they are entertaining most of the time.However including the likes of SBW with his histrionics and letting his mates,club and fans down is going to endear positive PR IMO is laughable.Gasnier OK however ,he too had his problems with the NRL and the less said about Gower the better. I watch union test matches,and the odd s14 game,however I won't go within a bull's roar of O'Neill's gimmicky baby.Sorry,but I follow sport for its passion(club/country/state),not a mixed gathering of the so called best and brightest.Not to fill the ARU's coffers depleted by past incompetence(insert Fort Fumble).

The way that the ARU has carried once turning professional has betrayed the very core of what rugby was in this country for the 20th century. I'm sorry to say that media gimmicks and contrived matches leaves me feeling ill. Rugby in Australia used to have some class about it. Now we seem willing to clutch at any contrivance (this time chasing ex-leaguies with 5 minutes of rugby experience) to drive media spin for our sport. We don't have League and Union in Australia anymore; we have two versions of Rugby League. One is the NRL/ARL and the other is the ARU.

Oikee .. It's just my opinion, but I don't think they're trying to compete with League at all. The ARU's not going to get those who are died in the wool League followers, for exactly that reason. They're going to be already committed to either Origin or the weekly club games or both. However, they are preaching to the rusted on eastern suburbs/north shore Tahs followers (hence the reason they're playing it at the SFS and not at Homebush) and those Brumbies fans who might make the trip up the highway, who don't support league and don't really care for Origin. That said, starting the whisper campaign about SBW, Gaz and Gower playing for the Barbarians is a clear attempt to secure plenty of media hype for the Wallabies/Baa Baa's match - particularly given the Telegraph's hatred for SBW and all that is French Rugby. The speculation will probably result in money can't buy exposure for the game in major metro press in the lead up to the Baa Baa's squad being announced.. at a time when no-one would be talking about what basically amounts to an exhibition game in the middle of winter. Clever, if somewhat cynical, move in that respect. I still don't think it will result in a capacity crowd but the ARU's been known to manipulate personalities to drive media exposure and therefore bums on seats in the past... "When the Dell sells, watch these babies swing"... anyone??

Fair Enough Westy, yes i would prefer to see the Barbarians rather than Italy, and at the SCG gives it that romance. I still find it strange why they are continuing trying to compete with league over here, people get their heads into the league season and nothing else matters. Merry X-Mas.

Some might be interested in the history of the Baa-baas, in the NH it is considered a great honour to be invited to play. They raise a large amount of money for Charities, particularly those related to rugby. http://barbarianfc.co.uk/ Frankly it doesn't matter who plays and always within the lineup there are uncapped players. I am sure the Baa-baas will include NH players as they can't all be part of the Lions tour to SA.

Boys do not forget you are also talking to rugby people here. A Barbarians side without real NH representation and Gower ( assuming he does not make Italy)/williams and gasnier may be seen for what it is. A gimmick. Look for all the code v code stuff that goes on here the SOO in Sydney is live to air and puts close to 70000 bums on seats. I am not saying it is not worth a try . I however like some sense of scepticism.. We transplanted a NZ v Wallabies game to Hong kong to make money. We do the same here. Australia can only play NZ so many times so why not change the name and add a few islanders and ex leaguies. As has been said the best of the SH rest. Some would say it prostitutes the barbarians concept but that is something only those damn leaguies do. We have it here simply because the Italy tour may well be second rate.

Can Ben Cousins play too?

Al - a one off.........what?........like Becksmania in the soccer.............that's sports theatre.......sometimes you've gotta support the regular show rather than the traveling road show................that said, the Wallabies are playing............but - the wisdom of holding ANY sports event in Sydney at present????

Thats right oikee eighty dollars on something that i can watch three times every year or a one off, first time in OZ match? Tough choice

Then why call them Barbarians, why not call them the Nomads. :)