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BaaBaas confirm Quade Cooper and two more Boks will join side
Quade Cooper has been confirmed for the Barbarians November Test match, although some doubt exists over what side they will face in the fixture.
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They were due to face the full Samoan Test team on November 27th, but it has had to pull out of the match, although a ‘Manu Samoa selection’ is expected to complete the fixture.
Whoever they face, Cooper, who has returned to form with Wallabies after guiding them to two victories over the Springboks in the Rugby Championship, will be involved. Recalled to the international stage after an absence of four years, Cooper responded by playing a pivotal role in back-to-back doubles against South Africa and Argentina – a four-in-a-row first for the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
The veteran fly-half will be 35 when the next Rugby World Cup comes around in two years’ time, but it seems Rennie is open to starting the mercurial playmaker in the tournament.
The invitational side have also confirmed two more Springboks World Cup winners will be involved. Steven Kitshoff, who played a central role in Springboks’ dramatic win over New Zealand in the Rugby Championship this weekend passed, will also be involved. Joining him will be fellow Springbok and potential Barbarians debutant Frans Malherbe.
The Bok props will join hooker Malcolm Marx and the Ulster-bound No.8 Duane Vermeulen, who have already been signed up.
Coach Dave Rennie, whose Australia squad finish their Autumn Series against Wales in Cardiff on November 20, will have at least four of the Wallabies side at his disposal in the famous Barbarian black-and-white, with Cooper joining Len Ikitau, Nic White and Pete Samu. Also signed up is Argentinian stalwart Pablo Matera, with more names to be announced in the coming weeks.
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More than 35,000 tickets have already been sold for the Barbarians’ autumn fixture, although they now face a headache cementing their opposition.
Samoa said in a press release this morning that they have had to pull out due to their country’s extremely strict C-19 restrictions on travel and the fact they felt their players could not be protected.
“Lakapi Samoa was not able to guarantee the safety of any of our players and management whilst on campaign and the current State of Emergency measures by the Government restricts the return of anyone within six months of contacting the virus,” said Lakapi Samoa CEO Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai.
Lakapi Samoa Press Release pic.twitter.com/NtkLpEY7lW
— Manu Samoa (@manusamoa) October 4, 2021
It’s a major blow to Samoa’s finances, with the cash-strapped union forecast to pocket a six-figure sum for the game.
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Barbarian Women will take on a Springbok Women’s XV following the men’s match at 5.15pm and ticket prices include both matches. You can buy tickets at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/barbarians.
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
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