Influx of All Blacks increases the challenge for Boks

The arrivals hall of Cape Town International Airport has become a fertile ground for being the source of social media information this week and the pickings coming out of there have confirmed why the Springboks are on a test footing for Saturday’s clash with the Barbarians.

Landed 🛬

Cape Town 📍#Baabaas #QatarAirwaysCup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0UMR9cgQ3M

— Barbarian FC (@Barbarian_FC) June 23, 2025

There were fears that because of the timing of the fixture, with it set at the start of the southern international season and not at the end of it, as a normal Barbarians fixture would be, plus the depth that the Home Unions have had to call on for their individual tours that coincide with the British and Irish Lions tour, might leave the visitors looking weak and rob the game of lustre.

A weak team remained a strong possibility as long the Barbarians website continued to champion a group of five international players as the makeup of the team that will take on the Boks at the DHL Stadium on Saturday evening. Those five were the experienced All Black loose-forwards Sam Cane and Shannon Fizell plus the retiring Ireland legends Peter O’Mahoney, Cian Healy and Conor Murray.

However, according to social media, wing Mark Telea and No 8 Hoskins Sotutu, who was unlucky to be carded in the Super Rugby final last weekend, have been spotted making their transit through the airport as have double World Cup winning All Black lock Sam Whitelock and another All Black in scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow.

Whitelock was assistant coach when the Barbarians beat Fiji 45-32 a year ago and that will be his role again. The team is to be coached by former Crusaders multiple Super Rugby winning coach, All Black assistant coach and Wallaby coach Robbie Deans.

Uruguayan scrumhalf Santiago Arata and France hooker Camille Chat are apparently also here, and if you add those names to the five already announced that makes for a formidable team, and makes the intent put across by Bok assistant coach Tony Brown in a media conference in Cape Town on Monday have more context.

“The Barbarians have knocked over many good teams over the years. It is massive for the first test of the year and we are preparing the players like it is a test match,” said Brown.

“This is not Barbarians against the Barbarians (in terms of playing style). We are going about our preparations how we would normally prepare for a test match.”

The Barbarians are to host a press conference in the city later on Tuesday and sure is more to be revealed then as to the extent of the challenge the Boks face on Saturday. The Bok team for the game against as yet unknown opponents will be announced at lunch time on Tuesday.