No excuses any more. No lame duck reasons from poor sides and mediocre management and coaching teams that rugby cannot be both entertaining and competitive. Admittedly, this was just a one-off friendly, not part of a tournament, nor an incremental building block to some far off destination, but it was a fascinating game of rugby, absolutely compelling, and an emphatic smack in the chops for anyone who thinks that Test rugby has to be programmed and risk free.
Of course, the Barbarians had a shed load of hugely gifted individuals. They also had Bryan Habana who scored three tries and proved beyond a scintilla of doubt that he is the most charismatic rugby player on the planet at the moment. New Zealand had Richie McCaw, the International Rugby Board’s player of the year, for a half and he was fantastic, but Habana was something else.
Habana poached his tries supremely well, but it was the other stuff that marked him out as special. He almost knocked himself out when tackling Brendon Leonard as New Zealand strove to get back into the game to maintain their unbeaten journey round Europe. And it was Habana’s eagerness to get into the match with his supercharged runs close to the breakdown which demonstrated just how much a victory meant to this Barbarian outfit.
That’s the point. If this were some fluffy end of season nonsense then conclusions would be superfluous. It was not. So desperate were the Baa Baas to secure a victory that they kicked a penalty in the 77th minute to stretch their lead to 7 points. So desperate was that marvelous lump of a flanker Schalk Burger to hang on to that advantage that he put his body on the line for the umpteenth time to tackle Mike Delany in the final act of the match. Jamie Roberts ran about 30 metres to hug Burger after the tackle. So did Morne Steyn. It was that important to them.
Why is why it is legitimate to evaluate the rugby they played? Unlike England’s three Twickenham debacles this autumn, this was no kicking fest. There was a purpose and a style to what the Barbarians did. Yes, they had sensational players, but they were also handicapped by the fact that none of the back line had played together as combinations. The Baa Baas had a week together, yet they produced ball, recycled ball, made their tackles, saw space, exploited space and produced rugby which was as intricate as it was watchable.
Why? Intelligence. England and some other international teams train for an eternity and come up with dross. The Baa Baas get together for seven days and rely on their instincts and skill sets. It wasn’t rocket science. The early lineouts all involved South African personnel. Bismarck du Plessis threw to his Bok mate Victor Matfield, and when Matfield got tired du Plessis sought out his other Bok mate Burger for the banker throws. In between du Plessis eased Italian lock Carlo del Fava into the match.
This is what talented, sensible rugby men do. They play to their strengths and ease their way gently into the game. And when it feels right, the repertoire expands and becomes more outrageous. That’s when gifted outside halves like Matt Giteau start floating hanging kicks out wide and trying behind-the-back inside passes. When guys like Jamie Roberts and Jaque Fourie discover that they like what each other does and can play off each other. Roberts was back to the form he showed in the summer for the Lions when he combined beautifully with Brian O’Driscoll. After an indifferent autumn, he looked first class again.
But because this was a proper contest, because many of the second string All Black side were fighting for their Test futures, the Barbarians had to offer substance. Individual brilliance, as good as it was, would have been submerged by the Black machine were it not for the grit provided by Rocky Elsom, George Smith, del Fava and Fourie du Preez. Stitch all that together and you have a thesis on how to get a side to play, and an argument to resist tinkering with the laws and protocols of the sport. There is nothing wrong with any of that. It is the mentality of the players and the coaches which corrupt the product, not the way the game is set up.
There were lessons for the All Blacks too. Take McCaw out of the picture, as they did at half time, and cracks appear. But we knew that. We knew that McCaw and Dan Carter are the guts, eyes and ears of this team and when they don’t play New Zealand are half the force. Their health as the All Blacks head for a World Cup in their own land will be the subject of national concern.
Yet there was good stuff to come out of yesterday for the All Blacks. Ben Smith and Anthony Boric scored tries and Luke McAlister showed what a complete footballer he is. The former Sale midfielder had a wonderful afternoon and is pressing hard on the heels of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith for a regular slot. Brendon Leonard was another to profit.
But that’s not the lesson coming from Twickenham. That is that rugby in all its glorious and uncertain complexity can still transfix, can still combine thump and dazzle. What a shame then that there were no English representatives, contractually obliged to play in this weekend’s Premiership fixtures, to benefit from the experience.
Match details
Scores: 0-3 Donald pen, 5-3 Habana try, 7-3 Giteau con, 7-8 B Smith try, 7-10 Donald con, 12-10 Habana try, 14-10 Giteau con, 17-10 Giteau pen, 17-15 Boric try, 22-15 Habana try, 22-18 Delany pen, 25-18 Steyn pen.
Barbarians: D Mitchell, Australia (M Steyn, South Africa 57); J Rokocoko, New Zealand, J Fourie, South Africa, J Roberts, Wales, B Habana, South Africa (L Halfpenny, Wales 70); M Giteau, Australia, F du Preez, South Africa (W Genia, Australia 62); S Perugini, Italy (T Mtawarira, South Africa 40), B du Plessis, South Africa (S Moore, Australia 40), WP Nel, Cheetahs, C del Fava, Italy (Q Geldenhuys 52), V Matfield, South Africa, captain, S Burger, South Africa, G Smith, Australia, R Elsom, Australia (A Powell, Wales 57).
New Zealand: C Jane; B Smith, T Ellison (S Sivivatu 40), L McAlister, Z Guildford (A Thomson 64); S Donald (M Delany 40), B Leonard (J Cowan 52); W Crockett (N Tialata 67), C Flynn, J Afoa, J Eaton, A Boric, L Messam, R McCaw (captain) (T Latimer 40), R So’oialo.
Referee: C Berdos (France)
Attendance: 63,551
Les Barbarians reçoivent à Twickenham la Nouvelle-Zélande. Les All Blacks, se présentent avec une équipe totalement remaniée après leur victoire face à l'équipe de France. Les Barbarians se sont imposés face aux Blacks grâce à trois essais de Brian Habana, sacré l'homme du match. L'absence de Daniel Carter a cruellement pesé sur la cohérence du groupe.