The Barbarians capture the 'essence' of rugby, according to Robbie Deans
Wednesday 1 November 2017 11:41, UK
Playing for the Barbarians captures the "essence" of rugby, according to coach Robbie Deans, who is preparing the black and white hoops to take on New Zealand on Saturday, Live on Sky Sports Action.
The Baa-Baas have named a 26-man squad, including six current or former All Blacks but no players from the home nations and only three playing in the UK - London Irish's Ben Franks, Gloucester's Ruan Ackermann and Bristol's Steven Luatua.
Deans, however, believes playing for the Barbarians still holds a key role in the rugby calendar and doesn't believe the significance of the Twickenham encounter, live on Sky Sports Action, has been devalued.
"You can only select from those that are available and it's not straightforward," said Deans, the former Australia head coach.
"As you know, we don't have an aligned calendar and until then it's unlikely to happen. The reality is that it's for someone up the food chain. They've had several meetings about it and nothing's changed.
"You have only got to see the response of the players who get the opportunity. It's the probably also the difference from their routine - their competition grind.
"It's unique because it brings together people who would ordinarily play against each other in a context where they can really express themselves."
"The concept of Baa-Baas really does capture the essence of rugby and everything that is great about the game."
Meanwhile, Deans also believes the fact Julian Savea will line up for the Baa-Baas against his country is a confirmation of the strength in depth of rugby within the back-to-back World Cup winners' ranks and has been impressed by the winger's attitude in preparations for the game.
"It's a commentary on the game, not only in New Zealand but globally," Deans, a former New Zealand full-back, said.
"But particularly in New Zealand because there are always people bubbling up from below. If you park up, you get passed. I'm not saying Julian parked up but you have to keep evolving as a player. That's the nature of the game, particularly in the professional era.
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"They analyse and they find ways to make your life difficult, but we're expecting to see a pretty good performance from Julian on the weekend - the great thing is he's up for it. A lesser man would have said 'it's too hard', but he's still hungry and that's great from the All Blacks' perspective."
