Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus said while the Barbarians have traditionally struggled to find cohesion in their short build-up to international matches, the quality of their coaches and players makes Saturday’s fixture a tough one.
The Springboks take on the BaaBaas after SA ‘A’ face Zimbabwe in an exciting curtain-raiser in Gqeberha.
Both South African teams were named with a mix of youth and international and franchise experience.
Barbarians boast class
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Erasmus said the Barbarians, who were whipped 54-7 by the Springboks last year, boasted a wealth of international prestige in their line-up.
South Africa-born Scottish wing Duhan van der Merwe, former All Blacks scrumhalf TJ Perenara and Australian wing Andrew Kellaway were named in the BaaBaas squad last week, while former Bok fullback Warrick Gelant was added this week.
Erasmus added that the Barbarians were in good hands under former All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi, both of whom have beaten the Springboks as both a coach and a player.
Robertson will not forget last year’s 24-17 win against Erasmus’ South Africans in the Rugby Championship, which extended their 51-match unbeaten run at Eden Park going back to 1994.
He will, however, remember in a different light their record 43-10 defeat to the Springboks in Wellington in the next game.
Contepomi’s Argentina lost twice to the Springboks last year.
“I coached the Barbarians in 2018 and we were playing Argentina. Although it was a fun week, with the Barbarians spirit and some great traditions… when you go onto the field it’s like – I remember playing for the legends or the Golden Oldies in Bermuda, you go onto the field and play New Zealand and it became such an intense game,” said Erasmus on Tuesday.
“And every time there’s a Barbarians game, it’s the same.”
Springboks ‘in for a big one’
He said the game would be open with much running and flair. But the coaches would not be able to construct defensive, lineout and mauling systems in the three sessions they have before a game.
“Though they are great coaches – if you compare Razor’s [Robertson’s] winning record with some of the South African coaches in history, he’d probably be second or third. He’s a great coach. He’s a really good guy.
“I think the way they put the team together, as you see the names popping up on social media, they want to win this, which is awesome.”
The Springbok coach added the Barbarians would be “helluva competitive”, with international stars taking their mistakes and results on this stage very seriously.
“So I guess we’re in for a big one,” he concluded.
