A year ago the Barbarians produced a limp performance at the Cape Town Stadium as they slumped to a 54-7 defeat to the Springboks but there’s one good reason to expect a better afternoon out for them in Gqeberha on Saturday - the weather.
As it stands, Saturday afternoon in the Eastern Cape city is expected to be temperate, with clear skies and a maximum temperature of 20 degrees.
In other words, perfect for the Barbarians’ trademark running rugby. Which would be very different from 12 months ago, where the kick-off to what was to become a winning season for the Boks was played in a week where the Mother City was visited by a severe cold front.
The training fields were waterlogged in the days building up to the game and the match itself was played in wet conditions.
With Bok coach Rassie Erasmus stressing beforehand that his team needed to eschew any desire to enter into the Barbarians spirit in favour of the test match approach he felt was needed to fine-tune for the matches that were to follow, the Barbarians were on a hiding to nothing from the start.
The Boks got their anticipated strong forward platform and they expressed themselves from there while the Barbarians, coached by former Wallaby head coach and All Black assistant Robbie Deans were criticised for their error ridden performance.
Perfect rugby was a massive expectation from a team of players who were mostly playing together for the first time.
CONDITIONS WILL HELP FACILITATE A BETTER SHOW
And perfect rugby won’t be an expectation on Saturday, but the conditions will at least help the Barbarians make a better fist of trying to set up the X-factor players in their ranks with opportunities to express themselves.
As it stands, that means the South African-born Scottish international and British and Irish Lion and former All Black scrumhalf TJ Perenara, and possibly Stormers fullback Warrick Gelant, for we don’t know too much about the Barbarians squad, let alone about something as specific as what backs will be asked to pose the traditional threat in the outside channels.
What we do know is that Argentina international flyhalf Thomas Albornoz will be there to add his creativity to the playmaking, game driving position, while Wallaby Andrew Kellaway is a counter-attacking threat with proven test match pedigree.
Attacking spark is also the trademark of the Uruguayan scrumhalf Santiago Arata, while Kyle Sinckler, the England veteran, is one of the Barbarians forwards.
The rest of the team will be filled in during the week to clear up any lingering confusion about who the Boks can expect to lock horns with at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Springbok season is here! 😁
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 15, 2026
The Barbarians are in town this Saturday for the YesPlay Cup 🇿🇦🔲
▪️ 11:30 | SA 'A' vs Zimbabwe | Build-up
▪️ 12:00 | SA 'A' vs Zimbabwe | Kick-off
▪️ 14:00 | Boks vs Barbarians | Build-up
▪️ 15:00 | Boks vs Barbarians | Kick-off
▪️ 17:00 | Boks vs… pic.twitter.com/QgrPOzYMEw
EXPERIENCED X-FACTOR EQUALS A THREAT
What Bok assistant coach Deon Davids is certain of, however, is that it is always dangerous to underestimate the Barbarians, who if they hit a purple patch when their passes stick can make it hard for their opposition.
And let’s not forget that before last year’s comfortable win in Cape Town, the Boks hadn’t beaten the composite side since 2000.
“With the Barbarians, you have to understand their background, the way their squad is put together, and you cannot underestimate them because they are a bunch of experienced players, many of them with X factor, so you don’t want them to get on a roll,” said Davids in the first press conference of the buildup week to Saturday’s game.
“The Barbarians have a unique dynamic that goes back decades – they like to entertain, which is encouraged by clever coaches who pick players who can do just that. Because they don’t have much time to prepare as a group, they stick to a style that has worked for them over time. They want to give the ball air, they want to create opportunities by a mixture of structure and attacking adventure.”
BOKS WILL LOOK FOR BALANCED APPROACH
In time-warn Bok tradition, Davids pointed out that the main focus of the Boks this week is on themselves, and he said there’d have to be some adherence to the basics if the hosts are to get anything meaningful out of a game that serves as preparation for a test season that starts with the long awaited Nations Cup match against England in Johannesburg two weeks later.
“It is important that we have balance and control in our game. We must transfer what we have been training into a match situation so we can see what works and what needs improvement,” he said.
The Bok team for Saturday’s game will be announced on Tuesday, as will the South Africa A side to play Zimbabwe in the curtain-raiser.
The Bok game will kick off at 3pm, in other words in mid afternoon, which is another thing that could suit the Barbarians in comparison to last year, while the SA A side will get the show going by playing against SA’s neighbours at noon.