Bristol coach Richard Hill says he expects Mark Regan to receive a fine after the hooker defied his club to skipper the Barbarians on Saturday.

 
Bristol claim Regan was in breach of contract when he took to the field in the 22-5 win over South Africa.

“I do have a bit of sympathy for players when they get torn between club and country,” said Hill.

“But the club have got to maintain their position so he will have to go in on Monday and bring his cheque book.”

Premiership players were forbidden from playing in the Barbarians fixture as it fell outside a designated international weekend.

Sale prop Andrew Sheridan was forced to pull out of the game at the request of his club even though the Baa-Baas claimed he was contractually obliged to play for them.

Bristol wanted Regan to take the weekend off so he could be fit and fresh for their Heineken Cup match with Harlequins on 8 December.

But after leading the Baa-Baas to victory at Twickenham, Regan said he had no regrets about ignoring Bristol’s orders.

“It’s always worth playing for the Barbarians,” said the 35-year-old England forward, who played in the World Cup final defeat against South Africa. “They’re a great side.

“I’ll report for training at Bristol on Monday and no doubt we’ll discuss what happens then.

“I’m fully fit and one of my objectives was to stay fit - and beat the world champions.
 

“I’ve played against South Africa five times already this year and this was the first time I’ve been on the winning side, so it was a case of fifth time lucky.”

Bristol, meanwhile, recorded a 13-13 draw against Leeds in Sunday’s EDF Energy Cup dead rubber at the Memorial Stadium, a game which saw Regan’s rival David Blaney score a try.

“Blaney had a very busy day, he worked exceptionally hard and was one of our best ball carriers,” added Hill.

“Regan was just below me in the hospitality boxes and was giving David support but after he scored his try he shut up. I think he was starting to get a bit worried. That is what Ronnie (Regan) needs, a bit of competition.”

Mike Burton, Sheridan’s agent and a Barbarians committee member involved in assembling the squad, said last week that in light of the recent row over availability, changes will be made to the selection process.

He said: “We don’t want conflict with anyone. For the sake of good relations in the future we want the clubs to nominate players.”

South Africa’s World Cup-winning year ended with a defeat as a tired-looking side were outplayed by the Barbarians.

Matt Giteau opened the scoring with a typical Barbarian counter-attack try as the visitors failed to make the most of their early pressure at Twickenham.

Barend Pieterse’s try gave South Africa hope but tries either side of the break by Martyn Williams and Rocky Elsom ended hopes of a Springbok revival.

Jason Robinson set up a try and earned a standing ovation on his farewell.

South Africa’s Ryan Kankowski came close to the opening try when he broke free and charged up the left wing following a scrappy Mark Regan line-out throw.

But Joe Rokocoko’s superbly-timed tackle knocked him into touch inches short of the line.

That break camped South Africa on the Baa-Baas line, and it just looked like a matter of time before they scored.

But when the try came, it was a thrilling Barbarian breakaway, after an uncharacteristic handling mistake by Habana.

Ma’a Nonu and Giteau combined well to set up Conrad Smith to cover half the pitch, and he looked to have lost the initiative before off-loading to Rokocoko, whose pass put Giteau over to touch down.

Nonu wasted two good chances to add to that advantage before Schalk Burger’s late replacement Pieterse finished off a Habana-inspired attack to put South Africa on the scoreboard.

But when Francois Steyn’s ill-judged kick went straight down the throat of Robinson, making his final appearance on the world stage, it just set up the next Baa-Baas try.

His electric burst brought the crowd to its feet and set up Williams for a slick finish just before the break, and when Elsom added another straight after the restart, the Barbarians were out of sight.

The death of the match as a competitive event coincided with rain setting in, and the spark of the first half was lost as the conditions grew worse.

Pride meant that South Africa began to treat the game more like a competitive Test, but for all their efforts and pressure, they rarely had try-scoring chances.

With 13 minutes left, Robinson was substituted, to a standing ovation, with his place going to Peter Grant.

Troy Flavell was yellow-carded with 10 minutes to go for a clumsy high challenge on Habana as a game which had promised so much early on ended up petering out to a tame conclusion.

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Barbarians: Robinson, Rokocoko, Smith, Nonu, Neivua, Giteau, Marshall, Pucciarello, Regan, Ma’afu, Cockbain, Harrison, Elsom, Williams, Collins. Replacements: Brits, Moller, Flavell, Owen, Shanklin, Grant, Cohen.

South Africa: Pienaar, Ndungane, Fourie, Steyn, Habana, Pretorius, Januarie, van der Linde, B. du Plessis, J. du Plessis, Muller, Ackermann, Pieterse, Smith, Kankowski. Replacements: Liebenberg, van der Merwe, van den Berg, Lobberts, Olivier, Julies, Jantjes.

England front rowers Mark Regan and Andrew Sheridan have been blocked by their clubs from playing for the Barbarians against South Africa.
 
Hooker Regan has been prevented by Bristol from captaining the Baa-Baas.

“If he does play he’ll be breaking his contract and will have to face the consequences,” Bristol chief executive David White told BBC Sport.

Sheridan, who reportedly has a contract allowing him to play in Barbarians fixture, has been blocked by Sale.

The Sharks are due to play Leicester over the weekend, but Sheridan’s agent Mike Burton is adamant that the club cannot prevent the prop from playing at Twickenham on Saturday.

“The new contract he signed with the club last week contained an unconditional clause that allows him to play for the Barbarians against South Africa on Saturday,” Burton told the Guardian.
aas? 

Sale declined to comment on the player’s contract but media manager Dave Swanton told BBC Sport: “At this moment in time he is training with us.”

Regan and Sale prop Sheridan had both been picked in the 22-man squad to face the world champions.

But Premier Rugby, the body that runs the Premiership, can prevent players turning out in Barbarian colours as the match falls outside a designated international weekend.

Regan is being rested for Sunday’s EDF Energy Cup match against Leeds Carnegie as Bristol have no chance of reaching the semi-finals of the competition.

But despite that decision Bristol do not want to see the 35-year-old turning out at Twickenham.

“Premier Rugby have made their decision and we are supporting that,” added White.

“We have not released him, he can’t play and we have the jurisdiction to fine him.”

England great Jason Robinson will play his final game on the world stage on Saturday after being named in the Barbarians squad to play South Africa.

It will be the 33-year-old’s final appearance at Twickenham and his penultimate appearance as a player.

He will play his final game in a testimonial at Stockport in June.

Robinson is one of four Englishmen in the 22-man squad, which will be captained by Bristol hooker Mark Regan and coached by Eddie O’Sullivan.

The winger retired from club and international rugby after the World Cup in France.

“It feels like an off-season at the moment,” Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Give it another couple of months and I will realise that retirement has really kicked in.

“It is nice to wake up knowing I haven’t got that same pressure and I can spend some time with the family.

“I’m busier now than when I was playing. The hardest thing is going to be saying ‘no’ to lots of things. I just have to be wise and not over commit myself.”

Both the Barbarians and South Africa will name their starting line-ups at lunchtime on Wednesday.

“I was honoured to be invited to prepare the team for such an historic and high profile fixture,” said Ireland coach O’Sullivan, who is among the candidates to lead the British and Irish Lions in South Africa in 2009.

“The assembled squad has an exciting mix of home-grown and overseas talent.

“We hope to give the world champions a real game in the best traditions of Barbarian rugby on Saturday.”

Robinson and Regan will be joined by their compatriots Andrew Sheridan and Ben Cohen, a fellow 2003 World Cup winner.

Cohen is currently without a club having left Northampton and seen his proposed move to Leicester collapse.

Six All Blacks have been included in the squad to face the world champions, including the prolific winger Joe Rokocoko.

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Barbarians squad:
Backs: J Robinson (England), J Rokocoko (Blues & New Zealand), I Neivua (Warriors & Fiji), B Cohen (England), C Smith (Hurricanes & New Zealand), T Shanklin (Cardiff & Wales), M Nonu (Hurricanes & New Zealand), M Giteau (Western Force & Australia), P Grant (Stormers), J Marshall (Ospreys & New Zealand).

Forwards: A Sheridan (Sale Sharks & England), F Pucciarello (Munster & Italy), S Ma’afu (Brumbies), M Regan (Bristol & England), S Brits (Stormers), B Cockbain (Wales), J Harrison (Ulster & Australia), Luke Charteris (Dragons & Wales), T Flavell (Blues & New Zealand), J Collins (Hurricanes & New Zealand), M Williams (Cardiff & Wales), R Elsom (Waratahs & Australia).