Has any coach ever had more riches to choose from than All Blacks’ Hansen?

The All Blacks might only have prevailed by nine points against a wonderfully spirited and inventive Barbarians but New Zealand rugby was still the big winners yesterday.

Ten of the Barbarians starting team were Kiwis of wildly differing vintages underlining yet again the extraordinary depth in New Zealand rugby.

Remember also that on Friday night New Zealand Maori – who probably approximate to a New Zealand Third XV – put 50 points on Canada in Vancouver.

Some of the younger Kiwi element in the Barbarians line-up are still chasing All Blacks glory. George Bridge, of the Crusaders, has gas, wit and wisdom at full-back and did himself no harm crossing for two tries.

And, indeed, he caught Waisake Naholo from behind at one stage with a startling tackle. You won’t see the Fijian flyer chased down like that very often.

Prop Atu Moli, one of five Kiwi Barbarians who now join the New Zealand party for their European tour, looks a world-beater to me, being both dynamic in the loose and hugely strong.

But Richard Mo’unga, while of course on the New Zealand radar, is currently surplus to requirements, such is the queue at No.10.

Julian Savea – 44 tries in 56 Tests – also currently comes under that category.

Meanwhile, how ridiculously talented is the Highlanders centre Richard Buckman for a player who almost never gets mentioned as a contended for New Zealand honours?

And then you have the guys who have been fringe players for the All Blacks but would be 80-cap veterans for almost any other side in the world.

Andrew Ellis is a minor wonder at scrum-half, a clever energetic bundle of positivity and endeavour who has been adopted by the Barbarians, and vice versa, since he dropped out of contention with the All Blacks after RWC2011.

If any one player encapsulates the modern-day ethos of the Barbarians club and a team that defies the critics and continues to survive in the modern era, it is Ellis.

He ‘gets’ the Barbarians and is a constant link with the Southern Hemisphere game where so many players are now recruited for their big showpiece November matches.

And what are we to make of the extravagantly gifted Stephen Luatua who produced a sumptuous hour of high-class rugby before limping off yesterday?

Hopefully, it is nothing serious; it was very decent of Bristol to make him available and they deserve to get him back in one piece.

Playing for the Barbarians against Australia a few years back Luatua unleashed all sorts of reverse spin passes and American Football stuff, while yesterday it was his ability to read and intercept and sheer rugby nous as he strode forward and looked and waited for support players.

That and his ferocious tackling which was equally impressive for a player sometimes labelled as a little loose and too attack-minded.

Luatua played a huge role in Auckland’s win over the British & Irish Lions in the summer, he is sheer class yet he has won a measly 15 New Zealand caps.

Such is the competition in the backrow that he has decided there is no long-term future and has flown the nest to play for Bristol and maximise his earning potential while he can.

I haven’t even mentioned Luke Whitelock yet in the Barbarians backrow, another formidable operator and what this player overload does is to raise the general standards of excellence and competition.

New Zealand might lose a few who opt to play overseas like Luatua or Ben Franks or those close to retirement, like Ellis, but

“Fringe All Blacks players would be 80-cap veterans for almost any other side”

the reality is that that just frees up space for the next generation of tyros.

So coach Steve Hansen will be happy enough. He can climb into his team a bit for their unusually sloppy first half but be content with an extremely worthwhile shakedown ahead of the serious stuff this autumn.

After a long international year his squad needed a slight change of pace yesterday, which they got.

A little kick up the arse never goes amiss, either, and Beauden Barrett has been bloodied as a prospective New Zealand captain when Kieran Reed hangs his boots up.

Above all, Hansen can reflect on just how much rugby talent he has at his disposal.

He’s a great coach but he’s also a very lucky man.