News

Smit handed Baa-baas armband

Monday 01st December 2008

Leading the stars: Smit captains Barbarians

South Africa captain John Smit will lead a star-studded Barbarians side against Australia in Wednesday's Olympic centenary clash at Wembley.

There is a strong South African flavour to the side with Smit joined in the starting XV by six of his World Cup-winning colleagues, including Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez and Schalk Burger.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, fresh from Saturday's 32-6 victory over England, will make his first appearance for the Barbarians.

Welsh winger and world player of the year Shane Williams has been included on the bench alongside former Australia scrum-half George Gregan.

Former South Africa coach Jake White and Eddie Jones, his sidekick in that successful campaign, have kept with tradition by selecting Western Province loose-forward Nick Koster as the uncapped player.

"This is one of the better Barbarians side there has been for a while and Eddie and I are really chuffed to get this group of players together," White said.

"It has been nice for me to be with the [players I coached at the World Cup] but it has also been nice to coach players like Richie and Joe Rokocoko.

"Usually when I see them they are on the other side of the field! It is nice to see the players who usually smash into each other having an opportunity to play as a team and that is something unique in rugby.

"The important thing is that a number of these players haven't played for the Baa-Baas - players like Richie, Bakkies Botha, Jean de Villiers and John Smit - and I think it is wonderful they get the opportunity to play alongside such wonderful players.

"A guy like Sean Fitzpatrick was a great captain of New Zealand but never got the chance to play for the Barbarians and I am sure he would have loved to play in a team like this."

Barbarians: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Rico Gear, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Frans Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Jerry Collins, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Johan Muller, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Census Johnston, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Federico Pucciariello.
Replacements: 16 Mark Regan, 17 Rodney Blake, 18 Chris Jack, 19 Nick Koster, 20 George Gregan, 21 Ollie Smith, 22 Shane Williams.

Date: Wednesday, December 3
Venue: Wembley
Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Match officials: tbc