From Paris to Wembley

Tonight’s clash between the Barbarians and Australia at Wembley could be mistaken for a Tri-Nations match and not a festival of rugby between the world’s most famous club and the Wallabies.

The Barbarians 22 includes nine World Cup-winning South Africans and five World Cup-losing New Zealanders to square up against 22 Australians. Uncapped Western Province No 8 Nick Koster brings the South African contingent to 10, with Australians George Gregan and Rodney Blake taking the Tri-Nations tally to 17.

In addition, the Barbarians are coached by former Bok coach Jake White and assisted by former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones.

After the triumphant advance of the Tri-Nations teams through Europe on their recent tours, fans at Wembley will have the opportunity to see some of the best players in the world one last time before returning to their questionable diet of English premiership rugby.

For White it is a high-profile foray back into the coaching world after more than a year out of the game. The coach resigned after taking the Springboks on a post-World Cup tour to Wales in November last year and hasn’t been involved in the game since.

Last week he spent time assisting Jones at English club Saracens and this week the roles are reversed. But it won’t be the last time White dons his tracksuit this year.

Following the Barbarians match he has a three-week stint at struggling French club Toulon, which will almost certainly lead to a full-time contract. White’s agent Craig Livingstone is in Europe to negotiate a long-term deal with the cash-rich, but results-poor, French outfit.

But all that is in the future; the Barbarians are the present for White and a bad result could dent his reputation — especially given the wealth of talent he has at his disposal. Percy Montgomery, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Johann Muller and John Smit all have World Cup gold medals, while All Black skipper Richie McCaw and back-row partner Jerry Collins bring undoubted class to the team.

Welsh wing Shane Williams, who was recently named world player of the year, is on the bench with the dynamic All Black Joe Rokocoko set to start.

“This is one of the better Barbarians side there has been for a while and Eddie and I are really chuffed to get this group of players together,” White said.

The match has been organised as part of the British Olympic Association’s celebrations of the first London Olympics in 1908, when Australia won the rugby gold medal.

Craig Ray

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