Training 'a shambles' but Baa Baas keen to compete

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Give them six weeks preparation time and Nick Mallett reckons his Barbarians would probably beat the All Blacks.

Two practices and the South African's not so confident his international selection will be on the right side of the ledger at Twickenham tomorrow, but he is promising they will not roll over.

"It's quite difficult when you are getting players who have never played together," Mallett said after their final training run together yesterday.

"Australian defensive systems are not the same as South African defensive systems, lineout calls are comprehensively different.

"The prop has never seen the hooker and the loosehead props never seen the tighthead prop before in his life."

The set pieces had been particularly difficult to organise in such a short time frame, he said. "You get a guy like [Victor] Matfield who has 20 minutes of lineouts and hoping to win 80-90 per cent of your ball, which is what you need to be competitive.

"That's the sort of difficulties in this game in terms of organisation and that's to the benefit to the All Blacks.

"I think individually if this Barbarians team were given six weeks on tour and we were playing this All Blacks team I'd say we would probably be firmly favourites for the game."

But, although he described the team's first run together as "a shambles", Mallett said the combinations had knitted together at the second.

"Today was a bit better and it finished nicely, so I think there is a feeling among the guys that they want to do well on Saturday [Sunday, NZ time]."

Mallett, who coaches the Italian national side, said nobody would be firing up in the Barbarians changing sheds before the match with the players self-regulating the need to perform at a high level.

"I think the players are mature enough to realise that if they are not up for the game they will get a thrashing. Australia beat the Barbarians in Australia by 50 points and that can happen with a scratch team that's a bit casual in their approach."

Mallett agreed an expansive approach could play into the All Blacks hands, but said his side too had players who could counterattack with the best.

"From our point of view if it's a nice day with Matt Giteau at first five it's impossible not to have a crack. Both teams want to have a celebration."

The Barbarians line-up is largely made up of Australian and South African players with two Italians and two Welshmen also in the mix.

One of those players, second five-eighth Jamie Roberts, limped off the Richmond Athletic Ground yesterday, although it is unclear whether the injury will put his place in doubt.

One factor that could stymie both sides' attempts to provide a flowing spectacle is the cold and wet London weather, which has closed in this week.

- © Fairfax NZ News