Head coach Robbie Deans backs a star-studded Barbarians outfit to push the “greatest team in the game”, the Springboks, when the teams clash in Cape Town next week.
Speaking on Heart FM’s ‘Super Saturdays with Jeremy Harris’, the Kiwi said pride, tradition and the calibre of players in the Baa Baas side would drive a competitive performance against the back-to-back world champions on Saturday, 28 June.
“We don’t want to be chasing them all day,” Deans said. “These guys are proud players, they’ve got proud histories, so they don’t want to go out there and blot their copybook.
“They want to give a genuine challenge not only because of the jersey that they’re wearing – the Barbarians – but because it’s an international [match], and these guys understand better than anyone what international rugby is about.
“They will respect the greatest team in the game, which is the Springboks right now.”
The Boks will host the famed invitational outfit at Cape Town Stadium for the first time in the Republic. It’s the ninth meeting between the teams, and the first since a 31-31 draw at Wembley in 2016.
Deans, though, will have limited time to run the rule over his squad, which includes Ireland legends Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray, and All Blacks Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell.
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“We don’t know the full combination yet … it’s a difficult time of year,” the former Wallabies and Crusaders boss said. “But we will have a combination, and our sole intention is to give the Boks a good preparation for what is obviously going to be the start point of a very exciting campaign for them.
“We’ve got a tight timeframe, only two weeks at that point of the fixture, so we’ll have to move quickly and secure some able players – but most importantly, a group who value and respect the opportunity. It’s going to be a special occasion.”
Deans, who previously coached a World XV in Cape Town, said the occasion would be steeped in history and camaraderie.
“It’s the first time the Barbarians have played in South Africa … this is going to be unique in many ways,” he said. “We’ve got some established blokes retiring, like Peter O’Mahony, who will be our captain.
“For Peter and Sam Cane, who’ve been knocking heads for a decade, to play alongside each other … It really captures what rugby is about. The respect and traditions of the game are paramount, and that’s what we hope to celebrate.”
Photo: Joel Ford/Getty Images
