08 April
BaaBaas to face the All Blacks
The Barbarians are to face the current Tri-Nations champions the All Blacks at Twickenham on December the 5th.
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, a member of the star-studded Barbarians side that lost 11-18 to Australia at Wembley last December, that showed that the ‘scratch’ team could be competitive against a Test nation, said he was looking forward to playing against them instead.
“I had a great time playing for the Barbarians last year and to now get the opportunity to play against them is going to be pretty special,” the captain of an All Black side currently number one in the world rankings, explained.
“Matches like this are rare and as there is such a long tradition of matches between the All Blacks and the Barbarians, it’s going to be huge for the team,” McCaw said.
Micky Steele-Bodger, president of the Barbarians said: “The confirmation of the Barbarians v All Blacks fixture in December is really good news as so many of the matches between us have proved to be memorable, containing some unforgettable moments of brilliance.
“As a club we are looking forward to another great challenge and in every sense, a marvellous occasion.”
The All Blacks have played the Barbarians on nine occasions. The match in 1973 in Cardiff, which the Barbarians won 23-11, featured what many fans consider to be one of the greatest tries ever, when legendary Wales scrum-half Gareth Edwards crowned a brilliant length of the field team move with the game’s opening score.
