Rugby: Barbarians back at park 30 years on

Maori All Blacks player Damian McKenzie. File photo / Dean Purcell

Famous team want more meaningful games to put club back on local map .

The NZ Barbarians will try to adhere to the club's philosophy of open rugby as much as possible, despite an unpromising weather forecast for tonight's match against the Maori All Blacks at Eden Park.

"It might be more of a close contact type of game, but guys have got the skills, so hopefully we can still use it," said captain Brad Shields at yesterday's captain's run.

This is the sort of fixture that warrants an Eden Park crowd of at least 10,000, There are six All Blacks in the Barbarians' 23, as against four in the Maori match-day squad. Will it be the extra cohesion of the Maori, driven by their proud, unbeaten home record since 2003, not to mention 20 wins on the bounce against full international sides, or the individual aspirations of a very good Barbarians roster?

Possible crowd numbers are not occupying the thoughts of the Barbarians as they prepare for their first big game on Eden Park since playing Auckland in 1985. Their absence from the biggest rugby stadium in the country is an anomaly when you consider they are based there. There was a time when the Barbarians were a regular fixture on Eden Park. They also played the Maori All Blacks several times through the 1960s and in fact the Barbarians drew 20-all in 1981 at Eden Park against a Maori Invitation XV.

Since 2010, when the Barbarians last played a first-class fixture, against the Maori in Whangarei, they have stepped up their grassroots involvement. Now the NZ Barbarians Schools proudly wear the scarlet jersey, as do the NZ Barbarians Area Schools, while the national Top 4 schools participants play for the Barbarians Cup and Barbarians Shield.

Questions might legitimately be asked, given the high profile of the well resourced UK Barbarians club, why the NZ Barbarians are not accorded more meaningful games.

Shields and his team soaked up information about the Barbarians on a visit to their impressive Eden Park clubrooms. He would like to see this side have more outings, if possible.

"That's what we talked about in the club. These games present more opportunity, especially when guys have finished their Super Rugby season. It's worth it," he said. "The Barbarians have gone under the rug in recent years, so hopefully we can put the club back on the map."

Coach Scott McLeod concurs: "These are some of the best weeks of a career for a player. They come together, have fun, meet new people and experience something different. The more opportunity for that, the better."

Maori v Barbarians

Eden Park, 7.35 tonight

Maori

Damian McKenzie
Rieko Ioane
Sean Wainui
Charlie Ngatai (c)
Matt Proctor
Marty McKenzie
T Kerr-Barlow
Elliot Dixon
Mitch Crosswell
Blade Thomson
Hayden Triggs
Joe Wheeler
Brendon Edmonds
Ash Dixon
Joe Moody

Quentin MacDonald, Joe Royal, Marcel Renata, Akira Ioane, Joe Edwards, Brad Weber, Otere Black, Codey Rei

Barbarians

Andrew Horrell
Cory Jane
Seta Tamanivalu
George Moala
Patrick Osborne
Tom Taylor
Mitch Drummond
Luke Whitelock
Blake Gibson
Brad Shields (c)
Dominic Bird
Alex Ainley
Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Liam Coltman
Mitchell Graham

James Parsons, Reg Goodes, Ben Tameifuna, Mark Reddish, Jordan Taufua, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Ihaia West, Richard Buckman