I’ve been a Barbarians supporter ever since the Australia versus Barbarians game finishing off the grand slam of 1984. Anyone who watched that game will remember it to this day.
That Barbarians game was the stand-out match of the famous series.
The Baa Baas fielded the absolute best players from every Grand Slam nation, many out for some pay-back following their defeats at the hands of the Wallabies, as well as France including the great Serge Blanco.
Australia’s 37-30 victory was never truly secure until the final whistle.
Unfortunately since the dawn of the professional era, the Barbarians have been treated as somewhat of a joke, with no one really taking them seriously.
I went to a sub-standard match in Cardiff in 2001 to see Australia versus a Bob Dwyer-coached Barbarians. No one on either side seemed to be attempting any sort of physicality at the breakdown – it was almost touch football – and at one stage two Barbarians players scored the same try, with both awarded a try on the scoreboard.
The Baa Baas through these years were often only able to field weak squads and their opponents responded in kind by resting their best players.
Fortunately in recent years there has been a bit of a Baa Baas revival, starting with the 2008 game against the Wallabies.
That game was commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wallabies’ gold medal at the 1908 Olympic games against Great Britain (represented by the Cornwall Rugby Club). The 2008 Barbarians wore the socks of Cornwall, instead of the socks of the players’ home clubs as is tradition. The players took their jerseys seriously, there was even a bit of spite at times – which can be a good thing if kept within reason.
Unfortunately the following year’s fixture in Sydney was less remarkable.
The Barbarians have normally played in the spirit of the game, often forgoing easy attempts at penalty goals and opting for the try. While in Cardiff I had the opportunity to get to know former Welsh player Barry John (aka ‘The King’), who told me about a match he played for the Barbarians.
The game was approaching halftime and the score was tied with a couple of tries each. Barry found himself inside the 22, in front of the goalpost, and easily in range. It seemed to him like a good chance to get ahead on the scoreboard before the break so he dropped back into the packet, called to the scrumhalf and knocked over an easy drop goal.
At halftime the Barbarians coach – a gruff former British army brigadier – took him aside and told him in no uncertain terms: “We at the Barbarians are not in the business of drop goals!”
The Barbarians have always attempted to put on a show, and have tended towards exciting rugby, striving for a fast, running game that would make a Fijian sevens team proud. Until England’s win in 2002, they were the only ‘European’ team to win the Hong Kong Sevens tournament.
It is also worth remembering the Barbarians are credited with scoring the greatest try in the history of the game – so great it’s now simply referred to as “That try”. The day’s commentator, Cliff Morgan, said at the restart “If the greatest writer of the written word would have written that story, no one would have believed it.” It didn’t really matter if the last pass was a tad forward.
I certainly hope the Barbarians in the coming game against the Wallabies take the game seriously.
The Barbarians are a rugby tradition with a rich history. They are one of those things that makes the game unique. At its worst A Baa Baas game can be a sloppy exhibition match treated as a fun afternoon practice session by all involved. At its finest, Barbarians rugby can be the best rugby you’ll ever see.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
It seems as though alot of people wish rugby was still amateur. Well its not and thats a good thing because players are focussing on rugby and therefore are better players for it. The passion has not left rugby it seems that many of you cannot handle tge fact that not every game is going to be exhilirating and action packed because its a sport and thats how sports work. I have watched many a MMA fight and believe it or not some of them were quite boring but that doesnt reflect on how much passion they are or are not putting in its just sometimes things dont go quite how you wanted them to, such is life unfortunately
Wag
Guest
Thanks for your advice, A D. Much appreciated !
Kirko
Guest
I was at that game in 2008 too Bakkies....geez it was cold that night. The ferociousness of the contact between Jerry Collins & Shalk Burger against George Smith was epic.
FraggleWrangler
Roar Rookie
Exactly my point. It's hard to get excited by a Barbarians match nowadays. 30 years ago a Barbarians match was something to look forward to.
Argyle
Roar Guru
Do you blokes recall the 1984 Wallabies v Baa Baa's at the old Arms Park? I just loved watching the 38 year old (yeah right - more like 42) Wallaby tight head prop Stan Pilecki charge onto a pass and thunder down the park, playing his best running rugby - still brings a tear to a glass eye for all us retired fatties - thanks Stan :)
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
Batty's try-scoring technique was great, Sheek. If he had time, he would plant the ball and then walk away from it. "I've done with you now."
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
It will be televised, Wag, according to something I just read on Twitter. It'll kick off about 1am.
Qldfan
Roar Rookie
" The only real interest was the novelty of seeing Mat Rogers in his first Rugby Union match after switching from league" Jeez it must have been bad if that was the only interest.
sheek
Roar Guru
AD, Well articulated. I fear it is only a matter of time before the Barabarians concept goes the way of other 'traditions.' That 1973 match was my intro to Babas rugby, & I can never get enough of re-watching that match, despite its quaintness with the passage of time. ABs wingers throwing the ball into lineouts, scraggy, ill-disciplined head high tackles. Funny how the ball might be in play more often these days, but these guys from the 70s played much more exhilarating rugby, with so many players demonstrating their individual characteristics. Grant Batty stopping abruptly over the tryline then waddling back. Phil Bennett & David Duckham with massive sidesteps that took them several metres past players. Alex Wylie just cranky with anyone & everyone. Bennett kicking around the corner style & Joe Karam kicking straight back & up style, Gareth Edwards' mind constantly scheming, Bruce Robertson demonstrating the sublimeness that makes many people think he is still the best ever ABs no.13. And so on. But the weird thing is I think today's players don't intuitively understand the concept of Babas rugby. How could they, they have been weaned on the professional rugby ethos, which is so entirely different from the amateur ethos? They think they understand the Babas concept, but I don't believe a majority actually do.
FraggleWrangler
Roar Rookie
The match I went to in 2001 was pretty bad. The only real interest was the novelty of seeing Mat Rogers in his first Rugby Union match after switching from league.
Wag
Guest
Will this game be shown on pay TV ?? IF NOT, WHY NOT ?
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
The Barbarians match is meaningless to me now. As Atawhai Drive says, it used to be full of home nations players who had either turned out for the Lions or were fan favourites ignored by national selectors. That made sense as a fixture when touring teams had spent much of the past few weeks playing those national sides. It was another, informal, chance to see if the North could topple the South. Now, there's rarely a northern hemisphere player in the line-up , let alone the home nations. I just can't get tribal about a SANZAR selection playing the tourists. It's not just the French and English clubs that won't release players because the Welsh, Irish, Italian and Scottish unions are just as reluctant to see their top players in such a fixture at a key part of the domestic season.
I have lost interest in Barbarian matches, too often you wait in anticipation for the match to start only to be disappointed in the match. You expect a Barbarian match to be a celebration of rugby and then too often it is dire with low intensity and not great quality.
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
For many years, the Barbarians were the British and Irish Lions in drag, i.e. they would be selected from the most recent Lions team. Allowance was made for the team to contain one uncapped player. The Barbarians team that took the field against the All Black in 1973, the match in which "that try" was scored, consisted of 13 players from the 1971 Lions team that had toured New Zealand and beaten the home team in a four-Test series. Phil Bennett came in for the retired Barry John and England's Bob Wilkinson was the uncapped player. That selection policy has changed and the Barbarians now draw their players from all over the world. Rugby has trashed most of its traditions but the Barbarians cling on, after a fashion. The Lions also endure, although their abbreviated tours are unsatisfying.
Timmypig
Guest
Baa Baas represent the best of rugby's ethos. At the elite level the Lions and the Baa Baas are probably the last remnants of the best of the amateur game. A real shame that the European clubs have so much control over their players.
Bakkies
Guest
I went to the most recent Barbarians match against the Wallabies. It was an awful game of Rugby. The one in 2008 was one of the best performances under Deans and it wasn't a front line Wallaby either. Burger, McCaw, Collins, Bakkies in the pack. I think Smit was in at as well.
pat malone
Guest
the Barbarians picked Willie Mason once?
Kia Kaha
Roar Guru
Great article. I too lament what has become of a proud amateur tradition. If the Lions concept can still have relevance in the professional era then there is no reason why the Barbarians can't still hold onto its traditions. The problem for me is the makeup of the sides and the availability of the players. Players tend to be former big names in the test scene who really have nothing to prove. The other problem is availability. For example, as a warm up for the Lions it'd be good to have a Pacific Island Barbarians side but hold it in the UK and pick only players who play in Europe. The issue is whether clubs release the players. An alternative could be to select fringe players who are trying to get back into test teams or players returning from injury and are struggling to find form. By picking players who want to get noticed for the right reasons you might lose marketing power to sell tickets but if the rugby is intense and the players motivated, that's probably going to make for a marketable product.