Deans: England absence from Baabaas ‘a shame’

England missed a royal chance to get a leg up on their November 2018 date with the All Blacks by giving the Barbarians a wide sidestep this year.

That was the message from highly respected international rugby coach Robbie Deans after his team’s honourable 31-22 defeat to the All Blacks at Twickenham on Saturday (early Sunday NZT).

The celebrated invitation side, that has been operating for 127 years, gave the world champs all they could handle before being run down in the second half.

Deans’ Baabaas match-day squad contained precisely zero players from the northern hemisphere and just three (Kiwis Steven Luatua and Ben Franks, and South African Ruan Ackermann) who play their footy in this part of the world.

Given that the match was staged at the home of England rugby, and that Eddie Jones’ side has clearly stated ambitions to unseat the All Blacks at the top rung of the world game, the widely travelled coach couldn’t help but see it as an opportunity missed.

‘‘It’s a great shame for them,’’ said Deans when asked if it was a shame no England players were part of the occasion.

‘‘It’s a great opportunity for them to experience the level, and in a year’s time there is going to be 23 of them out there [against the All Blacks].

‘‘It has been an opportunity missed as some of those 23 could have had a taste.’’

Deans said initial English interest had soon petered out when certain realities kicked in.

‘‘They were all positive early, but when it came down to it, getting into your season, picking up injuries and the November internationals loom, and things can change.

‘‘The initial positivity morphed into a little bit of resistance, and players felt pressure, that they might compromise themselves if they stepped into that. A player is always going to listen to his international coach in that circumstance. But to a man they all want to do it.’’

The Japan-based Deans also felt his group’s gritty, committed performance reinforced his belief that there remains a place for the Barbarians on the calendar, despite the clear schedule tensions.

‘‘It’s thriving, it’s alive and well,’’ he said of the iconic invitation outfit.

‘‘This group has been great, the jersey means a lot to them and it’s a week that is very special in a player’s life. We wanted them to play without fear, and they did that.

‘‘This is the way rugby should be. The essence of rugby is it’s the ultimate team sport, caters to all shapes and sizes, and all cultures. It’s a player’s game and sometimes coaches forget that and we produce stress. If we retained this sort of outlook the players would rise to the level.

‘‘The cross-pollination is stimulating, Richie Mo’unga was with us last year off the bench. He’s a starter now and knocking on the door for the All Blacks.

‘‘He showed he’s capable of playing at this level, and it will happen. It’s inevitable, and experiences like this accelerate that. It’s a challenge getting players from clubs, but if coaches can just look beyond at the benefits, they will be the benefactors over time.’’ Listening Eddie?

Deans also gave a fairly honest appraisal of an All Blacks outfit that in 2017 has offered teams ‘‘encouragement’’ but remains the team everyone is chasing.

‘‘They’re vulnerable, but they’re still travelling well. They’re giving teams a sniff. They gave us a fair amount of encouragement in the first half. Where do they go from here? I’ve got no doubt they’ll go that way (he gestures up) because that’s what they do. They’re in no hurry to give up their status as best team in the world.

‘‘They’re also building depth. All the players exposed to this create a pool that are hungry.’’

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