My Home Union Barbarian selection.

I thought it would be fun to select my own barbarian team of all my favourite NH home union players to face the Springboks, it will be made up of players I enjoyed watching during the Six Nations, they may not necessarily be the best, but I like them.

It is fictituous so don't grab your calendars.

1. Cyan Healy
2. Ross Ford
3. Gethin Jenkins
4. Richie Gray
5. Paul O’Connoll
6. Tom Croft
7. Sam Warburton
8. David Denton
9. Mike Blair
10. Owen Farrell
11. George North
12. Brad Barrit (must have one Saffer in there)
13. Jonathan Davies
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Rob Kearney
Replacements
16. Rory best
17. Alex Corbisiero
18. Dan Cole
19. Luke Charteris
20. Mike Phillips
21. Johnny Sexton
22. Leigh Halpenny


There you have it, strong pack, some pace and mobility in the back row, some speed behind the ruck, a good boot in Farrell, strong defensive midfield and big runners with Cuthbert and North on the angle, with Davies to snipe the gaps and create the offloads, with Kearney secure under the high ball.

Gethin Jenkins isnt a tight head prop.

The rest of the team looks great. But dont you need an uncapped player.

For an exhibition game I'd be thinking that this team could do very well:

01 Joe Marler
02 Ross Ford
03 Adam Jones
04 Richie Gray
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Stephen Ferris
07 Tom Wood
08 David Denton
09 Mike Blair
10 Ian Madigan
11 George North
12 Jordan Turner Hall
13 Jonathan Davies
14 Alex Cuthbert
15 Stuart Hogg

Thats a team who could deliver in true Baa Baas fashion

red_stag wrote:Gethin Jenkins isnt a tight head prop.
The rest of the team looks great. But dont you need an uncapped player.

For an exhibition game I'd be thinking that this team could do very well:

01 Joe Marler
02 Ross Ford
03 Adam Jones
04 Richie Gray
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Stephen Ferris
07 Tom Wood
08 David Denton
09 Mike Blair
10 Ian Madigan
11 George North
12 Jordan Turner Hall
13 Jonathan Davies
14 Alex Cuthbert
15 Stuart Hogg

Thats a team who could deliver in true Baa Baas fashion

Staggy, I think that was a deliberate ploy from biltong so that the NH Barbarian scrum gets minced by the Saffas!

No, i stuffed up, I'll take Jones then.

biltongbek wrote:No, i stuffed up, I'll take Jones then.

If it's a Baa Baa's game you want mobile forwards. So, not Jones. Pick Cole instead

Cole is on my Bench already, I am leavin him for the last 20 minutes.

Biltong
Like the idea of picking a Baa-Baas team to play in the traditional way - it's just a pity that because of club and international commitments the Barbarians teams picked to face the touring sides are now almost devoid of home nations players.

I'd go for something like:
Gethin Jenkins
Ford
Cole
Richie Grey
Ryan Jones
Croft
Rennie
Denton

Phillips
Preistland
North
JD2
Joseph
Strettle
Hogg

Joseph is the uncapped player, and while I have concerns that he may not be physical enough for international rugby, he is fast and elusive and so a classic Barbarian type player.

I've included Strettle because I think he's one of the most gifted runners in the modern game. I'd just tell him to go out and play naturally rather than worrying too much about game plans and all that stuff.

Is that the rule of the Barbarians that you must have one uncapped player?

biltongbek wrote:Is that the rule of the Barbarians that you must have one uncapped player?

Yea

Ok, I am a loosehead prop, how about me then?

I also want to be captain, seeing that it is my team.

red_stag wrote:

biltongbek wrote:Is that the rule of the Barbarians that you must have one uncapped player?

Yea

Rather than a 'rule', isnt it just a tradition like playing in a certain way and not kicking penalties etc? I'm happy to be corrected.

dummy_half wrote:



Joseph is the uncapped player, and while I have concerns that he may not be physical enough for international rugby, he is fast and elusive and so a classic Barbarian type player.

Joseph's actually very physical for his size, and his defence is good too. Rather tenacious. He's bigger than Fofana, who coped better than well!

Bluestone
Have to admit my knowledge of Joseph only comes from the Aviva highlights shows, so does tend to show him mostly as an attacking player of great talent - good to know that he's a better defender than you'd expect from his relative lack of size.

Ah no worries, the highlights don't give much insight. He is good in defence, and I think he should cope well. Barritt shows that size is no obstacle concerning defence, and is all a matter of technique. Hopefully Joseph will make his début soon, because I think he's ready

I hopde Joseph goes to South Africa. I would have had him in for Turner-Hall except for the injury he got.

definitely, I thought JTH was an odd selection. Isn't he more of a 13?

I'd like to watch

1 gethin
2 ford
3 cole
4 Gray
5 Evans
6 croft
7 tipuric
8 Faletau
9 Webb
10 Matthew Morgan
11 shane Williams
12 jd2
13 earls
14 Fitzgerald
15 hogg

Run the opposition off the park

maestegmafia wrote:I'd like to watch

1 gethin
2 ford
3 cole
4 Gray
5 Evans
6 croft
7 tipuric
8 Faletau
9 Webb
10 Matthew Morgan
11 shane Williams
12 jd2
13 earls
14 Fitzgerald
15 hogg

Run the opposition off the park

It is the sprinboks they will play though, there will have to be a lot of running though.

They can play this Boks team.

01 Guthro Steenkamp
02 Bismark du Plessis
03 Jannie du Plessis
04 Andries Bekker
05 Victor Matfield
06 Schalk Burger
07 Juan Smith
08 Pierre Spies
09 Francois Houggard
10 Morne Steyn
11 Bjorn Basson
12 Patrick Lambie
13 Jacque Fourie
14 Gio Aplon
15 Frans Steyn

A BaaBaa style Bokkie team.

01 Joe Marler
02 Ross Ford
03 Adam Jones
04 Richie Gray
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Tom Croft
07 Sam Warburton
08 David Denton
09 Mike Blair
10 Johnny Sexton
11 George North
12 Jamie Roberts
13 Jonathan Davies
14 Tim Visser [Un capped]
15 Stuart Hogg

There you go NH Hone Nations Baa Baas team including an un capped player.

bluestonevedder wrote:definitely, I thought JTH was an odd selection. Isn't he more of a 13?

I've been going to Quins for nearly 5 years and don't think I've ever seen him play 13. Based on his size you'd expect that he would have, but he's a specialist 12.

I'd go for Marler as my uncapped player as well. Again not necessarily the best in each position, but a potentially exciting team:

Marler
Hartley
Jones (though I think Cole could be the world's best TH pretty soon)
Gray
Jones (AW)
Croft
Warburton
Morgan

Phillips
Sexton
North
Davies
Tuilagi
Bowe
Kearney

Oh I forgot about Ben Morgan at #8.

Rugger
Point of order - Visser is not (yet) a home nations player.

I think Marler's uncapped as well, although in the EPS.

dummy_half wrote:Rugger
Point of order - Visser is not (yet) a home nations player.

I think Marler's uncapped as well, although in the EPS.

Technicaly he is already qualified for England and will be Scottish qualified in the summer.

If you mean on residency then no he isn't qualified for England. Your 36 months has to immediately precede your first cap. If he has an English parent then fair enough.

thomh wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:definitely, I thought JTH was an odd selection. Isn't he more of a 13?

I've been going to Quins for nearly 5 years and don't think I've ever seen him play 13. Based on his size you'd expect that he would have, but he's a specialist 12.

Yeah, I though it was strange as our centres were Barritt and Farrell (at the start) and both are really 12s. Bringing in another centre who was a 12 was a bit strange. It's pretty annoying regarding 13 at the moment. I like Tuilagi, Lowe and Joseph. One of Lowe and Joseph need to be tried in the summer. Almost forgot Trinder as well. He might be further forward than the other two as he's been included in the squad. But I'd have the other two over him (based on my limited knowledge and gut feeling)

I like the look of Johan Goosen of the Cheetahs. Would like to see him make the step up for the Boks see how he fares.

sugarNspikes wrote:

red_stag wrote:

biltongbek wrote:Is that the rule of the Barbarians that you must have one uncapped player?

Yea

Rather than a 'rule', isnt it just a tradition like playing in a certain way and not kicking penalties etc? I'm happy to be corrected.

Yes I believe thats the case- one uncapped up and comer, running rugby and most importantly, they must all wear their own club socks!

I dont know about the England Barbarians,but I do know that part of the criteria for the NZ Barbarians was that you had to behave yourself both on and off the field.Which would probably mean that people that jump off ferries,throw ice in aeroplanes,pinch golf carts,throw dwarfs, etc,etc I think you get the idea would be excluded.

aucklandlaurie wrote: I dont know about the England Barbarians,but I do know that part of the criteria for the NZ Barbarians was that you had to behave yourself both on and off the field.Which would probably mean that people that jump off ferries,throw ice in aeroplanes,pinch golf carts,throw dwarfs, etc,etc I think you get the idea would be excluded.

That would rule out Zak Guilford (naked in a bar), Adam Thompson (domestic violence), Andrew Hore (killing seals), Sitiveni Sivivatu (domestic violence), jimmy Cowan (drunk and disorderly), Jerome Kaino (drink driving), Rene Ranger (assault), Byron Kelleher (drunken brawl), Robin Brooke (sexual assault), Sione Lauaki (multiple arrest), Doug Howlett (multiple arrest) and a number of ABs with super injunctions then.

It's interesting how many people have gone for Tom Croft. He has plenty of doubters out there but has been showing just how effective he can be this season. Always liked him, has a bit of class about him.