The Barbarians Summer Series proper begins this weekend with the Killik Cup against England at Twickenham, and not much has been spoken about it here.
Sunday, 2.30 pm UK time (coverage starts on SS1 at 3.15 pm) sees the first match under way. The big news coming out this morning is that John Smit has been chosen to lead the Baabaa’s.
The other matches in the Summer Series see the Barbarians pitted against Ireland on Tuesday 29th May, 7.45 pm UK time (can’t find any coverage in SA for this one), and the final match against Wales on Saturday 2nd June, 2.00 pm UK time (2.45 SA time on SS6).
The full squad is as follows:
Backs – Isa Nacewa (Fiji), Mils Muliaina (New Zealand), Ian Balshaw (England), Cedric Heymans (France), Shane Williams (Wales), Paul Sackey (England), Sailosi Tagicakibau (Samoa), Casey Laulala (New Zealand), Mike Tindall (England), Damien Traille (France), Felipe Contepomi (Argentine), Stephen Donald (New Zealand), Rory Lawson (Scotland), Jerome Fillol (France)
Forwards – Benoit August (France), John Smit (South Africa), Aled de Malmanche (New Zealand), John Afoa (New Zealand), Duncan Jones (Wales), Neemia Tialata (New Zealand), Heinke van der Merwe (South Africa), Mark Chisholm (Australia), Mick O’Driscoll (Ireland), Anton van Zyl (South Africa), Pelu Taele (Samoa), Cornelius van Zyl (Italy), Raphael Lakafia (France), Akupusi Qera (Fiji), John Beattie (Scotland), Pedrie Wannenburg (South Africa), Ernst Joubert (South Africa), Francois Louw (South Africa)
It has just been announced that the Northampton back-row Phil Dowson has been handed the Captains armband for England. I will post the rest of the team as soon as it is announced
Full Barbarians team for Sunday: Muilaina, Sackey, Laulala, Tindall, Balshaw, Donald, Lawson, Tialata, Smit, Afoa, Chisholm, van Zyl, Joubert, Qera Beattie.
Subs: August, Jones, Taele, Lakafia, Fillol, Contepomi, Tagicakibau
Will definately be watching this game… and schedule a Live game Article for it too!
John Smit has been chosen to lead the Baabaa’s.
Only in SA that we cant rate our own high, all the abuse he got and he is picked as Captain…..makes one think.
Same scenario with Spies, all the other countries rate him , fear him but here we cant see his value , well that is if you are not a Bulls supporter.
Well done to John been selected as Baa Baas Captain. Always has been a magnificent captain.
@ superBul:The abuse that JS got was not for being captain, he was not the best No.2 at the time, and should have made way. That does not mean that any of us think he is not worthy of Captaining the Baabaa’s. I think it is great, and a wonderful privilege, and he will do a brilliant job, I am sure. In the same breath, I would be equally scathing if he came back and played in the Bok team. You see, two completely different scenarios.
@ grootblousmile:Great, thats my Sunday sorted!!!
@ Just For Kicks:
Sometimes you simply dont pick the best guy , but rather the guy that can do best for the TEAM.
Can i enlight you a bit how i felt and from where this view comes.
When John was originally picked Gary Botha was by far the best hooker, in opinion polls there was up to 78% who felt he should be first choice. I obviously a Bulls and Gary supporter despised John. But Jake insisted he plays him because of his leadership. Well eventualy i saw a bit of the reasoning in.
Bismarck is and was a walking yellow card and John never let the team down, in fact many recon he hit top form in the 2011 WC. We missed nothing with him playing instead of BduP, John was NOT the reason why we lost in the RWC. We all know who cost us , but lets rest it.
From a guy who thought he would never like JS i ended up seeing his great value to SA , the Team and Unity.
6@ superBul:
Well said Super. The very reason so many of us supported John.
Good post Super.
Now we need someone similar to lead the Boks. Who brings the team together. We a nation still so divided and that is a shame. We need a captain that can gel all the different franchises players together. I still think our best captain would be Adrian Strauss from the Cheetahs. I doubt he will make the team. It will be Bissie fisrt choice hooker and I feel Meyer will go for Chili on the bench. Would be a shame for Strauss as he is playing awesome rugby too and such a good captain. Who else for captain? JdV? Will he gel all the players together? He could but not so sure. Spies? Could he gel all the players. As we know Meyer will select Spies. I have such a funny feeling he may just go with Bissie as Captain. Not sure why I feel that way, could be if Bissie is made captain he will be far, far more disciplined. Then he said his captain this time round wont necessary be the captain for the next 4 years. Could it be FdP? He said he would come back to sa if Meyer wanted him too. Then I like Hougie at scrumhalf. Just have to wait and see. BUT John left big shoes to fill (captaincy wise) he was magnificent.
@ Puma:
I have no idea, i thought it would be Chilly but then why did the Bulls pick Spies. At that time HM was still fully involved with the Bulls.
8@ superBul:
I thought it would be Chili as well. Think it was Meyer that wanted Spies for Bulls captain. Well from what I read around the blog threads. So who knows it could be Spies.
Really I just want us to have a excellent captain, I don’t care which franchise he plays for, just want him to be a captain that everyone respects and most important the refs respect.
Time will tell.
How you doing Super? I read here that you had a back problem. How is it doing?
Don’t just go the op route yet Super. See what your surgeon says and get another opinion from another Dr. There is a very good neurosurgeon I used to see in Bryanston when I lived up in Joburg. He always goes the conservative route first. He did a spinal block on me a few years back and it helped a lot. There are plenty streching exercises that help a lot as well for back problems.
Super are you looking forward to the cricket series in England?
Maybe we could do some crici threads here again, that would be great.
Puma wrote:
O yeah , cant wait. Just read a private blog on N24
http://blogs.sport24.co.za/Looseball/england-test-team-saved-by-the-umpire
Here is a bit what the guy said-
Kemar Roach is a brilliant bowler and he gave the English batters a taste of what they can expect from the Proteas. Roach however needs assistance but the way he made the Poms jump was something to savour. Fidel Edwards is not bad but he is hardly a threat when the ball softens up and loses its shine.
Despite a good hundred Andrew Strauss’ career will come to end when the likes of Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn peppers him with short balls. Strauss’ reflections are bad and he spots the short ball far too late. The problem is that none of the England bowlers has the zip to prepare him for the hostilities of the Proteas.
11@ superBul:
hahaha… Good hope we beat them Super. In cricket there are only two teams I absolutely hate us losing too and that is England and Australia. We are playing them both away this year.
Hope our boys smack those Poms good, especially that they have some saffas in there side………hahaha. (Sorry to our resident Pom here. BB….hehe)
I am off to bed Super worked here in my study until late last night. So early to bed for me tonight.
Good to catch up again Super, I hardly see you on the blog these days.
Can’t wait for our Boks to play as well. So much great sport to look forward too.
Good night Super. Catch up tomorrow.
@ Puma:
Good night Puma, always nice to meet you here.
Baa Baa’s team has been anounced:
Barbarians: M Muliaina (New Zealand); P Sackey (England), C Laulala (New Zealand), M Tindall (England), I Balshaw (England); S Donald (New Zealand), R Lawson (Scotland); N Tialata (New Zealand), J Smit (capt, South Africa), J Afoa (New Zealand), M Chisholm (Australia), A van Zyl (South Africa), E Joubert (South Africa), J Beattie (Scotland), A Qera (Fiji).
Replacements: B August (France), D Jones (Wales), P Taele (Samoa), R Lakafia (France), J Fillol (France), F Contepomi (Argentina), S Tagicakibau (Samoa).
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