Barbarians name coaching team for All Blacks XV fixture

The Stormers’ John Dobson and Bristol’s Pat Lam will lead the Barbarians coaching team for the clash against the All Blacks XV at Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, 1st November.

For Dobson, coaching the Barbarians is a first, but Lam is steeped in Barbarians history, having worn the famous black and white hooped jersey six times as a player before coaching the team on two occasions.

Lam was coach when the Barbarians enjoyed a nine-try, 63-45 win over England at Twickenham in 2018, when Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick against his country, and was also in charge the following year.

“Pat and John are coaches who embody everything the Barbarians stand for – innovation, attacking intent, and a passion for bringing players together from around the world,” said John Spencer, President of Barbarian F.C.

“As a Barbarian himself, Pat is fully aware of the honour and pride players have in putting on the Club jersey.

“With their track records of success and the attacking flair they champion, this promises to be another thrilling chapter in our long history with New Zealand sides. We know the supporters will be in for a feast of rugby on November 1st.”

Lam has gained a reputation for his attack-minded philosophy during his time as a coach at Connacht and now Bristol, making him the perfect fit for a team whose purpose is to entertain.

“It’s a great honour for me to be once again given the opportunity to be involved with the Barbarians,” Lam said. “This is a historic club, and for me, the ethos has never changed for the BaaBaas across the amateur and professional eras of the game.

“Every time I am involved with the team, I point to that legendary try against the All Blacks in 1973, because it has everything that great rugby’s about – skill, no fear, superb support play, and keeping the ball alive no matter what.

“It’s special because everyone is playing as hard as they can for that Black and White jersey, and that’s what we’ll look to get out of the group of players in November. We want them to back their skills and back their teammates.

“It’s always a challenge as a Barbarians group to do that in such a short period of time, but I love that challenge. Touring sides, such as our opponents, the All Blacks XV, have a lot longer together and a lot of cohesion, but we’ll be trying to put the framework in place for the Barbarians to come together as a group as quickly as possible and express themselves.

“I’ve never worked with John before, so I am really looking forward to that too. He’s a quality coach who has done a fantastic job with the Stormers. The Barbarians is all about bringing players together from all over the world, and it’s great fun to do that as a coach.”

Dobson, who steered the Cape Town-based Stormers to the inaugural United Rugby Championship title in 2022, has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s most innovative and engaging coaches and is looking forward to adding another landmark occasion to his 17-year career.

“It’s a huge honour to be joining the Barbarians for this match against the All Blacks XV,” he said.

“I was only a few years old when my dad started replaying the famous 1973 game between the BaaBaas and New Zealand for me to watch, and growing up in South Africa – where we’re known for playing a traditional, physical style of rugby – the BaaBaas have always been the zenith of how rugby should be played.

“They play beautiful rugby, and the team has a mysticism about it in South Africa. It is very special, so for me to be involved now is brilliant.

“I am really looking forward to working with Pat, too. I watched what he did with Connacht and now Bristol Bears are always one of the teams we look at, in terms of how they play and how they set-up their attack.

“We have a similar mindset at the Stormers; we always want to entertain. So, working with Pat and the Barbarians, given how we all approach the game, it should be a match made in heaven.

“Professional rugby can feel very serious at times. I think it’s important to treat everybody fantastically, have a lot of fun, and connect – and if you do that, it can trump the technical and physical stuff. That’s what the Barbarians always do; they come together against teams that have been together for a long time and do something extraordinary.”

The Barbarians will lock horns with the All Blacks XV for only the second time, following a high-octane debut meeting in 2022 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in what was the first-ever international rugby match held at the world-class venue.

With current All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson at the helm of a star-studded BaaBaas side, the hosts edged an exhilarating contest 35-31, with Zach Mercer, Lekima Tagitagivalu, Joe Marchant, Teddy Thomas, Rhys Webb and Antoine Hastoy all on the scoresheet.

Tickets for the fixture – priced from £35* for Adults and £17.50* for Kids (U16) – are available now via Ticketmaster and Brentford FC.

*Booking fees apply