Booze ban says BaaBaas mean business
IAIN PAYTEN back several fringe Wallabies squad members he’d already invited to play for the BaaBaas.
Cheika is set to use the Barbarians game, too, to give nonregular starters a chance in his run-on team before the tour of Europe.
Barbarians matches are usually carnival affairs with lots of high-risk attacking play but Jones, the 1984 Grand Slamwinning mentor, isn’t hiding from the fact he will be aiming to beat the Wallabies at Allianz Stadium.
“We will be playing to win, there is no mistake about that,” Jones said.
“Whether we are capable of winning or can execute that, that’s another thing but the boys know we are playing to win.”
Contrary to time-honoured Barbarian traditions, which involve beers and bonhomie, Jones wrote to players selected and told them they wouldn’t be boozing all week.
The team plays the Classic Wallabies in Lismore on Tuesday, October 24, before meeting the Wallabies four days later.
“We have an obligation to the players when we bring them from all over the world to make sure we understand they’re fair dinkum,” Jones said.
“I have written to all of them and they know that. There has been a bit of a tradition in the past that the Barbarians is a bit of a holiday ….
“But I think that would be a disservice to the tradition of the Barbarians and the people coming through the turnstiles.
“We don’t want any Nick Kyrgioses playing for us here. The public expect us to be there, to be fit and to be ready to go for 80 minutes.”
Cheika, who has coached the Barbarians previously, said he was expecting a competitive encounter.
“We will be picking a pretty strong side because we want to make every post a winner in this game as well,” he said.
Jones and Cheika, who are good friends, hammed up the rivalry. Jones said it was “unAustralian” that Cheika had taken back Barbarians selections such as Billy Meakes.
“One of the great weakness of the match from Michael’s point of view is that there will be several players playing for him who want to play for us,” Jones said.