BaaBaas clash has intensity of a Test for Boks, says Rassie

Saturday’s showdown between the Springboks and Barbarians will have all the intensity of a full-blown international, even though the clash does not enjoy Test match status, SA coach Rassie Erasmus said.

With more than 50,000 fans expected to attend the season-opener at Cape Town Stadium, all eyes will be on the Boks as they prepare for a double-header against Italy in Tshwane on June 6 and Gqeberha a week later.

Erasmus said the Boks would play a structured game and avoid getting drawn into the festival-type of running rugby the Barbarians were famous for.

He said his team wanted to get through the BaaBaas clash without any mental scars before a busy international campaign.

“We are a team that likes to analyse the opposition,” Erasmus said.

“We always do that, and assistant coach Felix Jones plays a massive role in that, especially in finding out what the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses are.

“We can’t do this with a Barbarians team, but there are also individuals we know, though they will be very late in announcing some of the individuals that will play for them.

“The thing is, when they get together, you tell them to play what they see and be entertaining.

“If you give them bad kicks, they will rip you apart.

“We will try to play structured in our way and try to get through the game without any mental scars, because that is something that happens if you are in the Barbarian mindset.”

Erasmus said the Boks’ training camp in Joburg had laid a solid platform for Saturday’s opener.

“The camp went very well,” he said. “A few of the younger players are still finding their feet, while the players who have been in the set-up in the last few years have been determined to show that they can maintain their form at this level.

“But we have to be careful about how we approach these first games.

“The moment you say you’re going to play around a little bit with selection for the Barbarians, you give the wrong message.

“That’s why we want to pick a pretty strong team. It’s not a Test match, but it’s going to be an excellent spectacle, I believe. 

“I’m not sure what the weather in Cape Town will be like, but the game will definitely be of Test-match intensity, with a lot of pressure.

“Everybody’s expecting us just to beat Italy.

“But they were really competitive in the first two rounds of the Six Nations and then they ran a little bit low on player depth because they don’t have a hell of a lot of players. 

“Italy will be very physical and gutsy on defence, so we can’t not perform.”

The Barbarians have named Sam Cane, the All Blacks’ 2023 Rugby World Cup captain, Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray as part of the squad for Saturday.

O’Mahony played the first of his 114 Tests for Ireland in 2012, captained the side from flanker and was a member of their squad in five Six Nations championship victories.

He also played one Test for the British & Irish Lions, against New Zealand in 2017.

Murray, like O’Mahony, a stalwart of Irish giants Munster, made his Test debut in 2011, played 125 Tests for Ireland and eight for the British & Irish Lions.

The experienced scrumhalf featured in all three Tests against the Boks in 2021, and toured Australia (2013) and New Zealand (2017).