Cape Town – This Saturday in the shadow of Table Mountain, the Mother City won’t just host a rugby match—it’ll be the ignition spark to the Springboks’ 2025 season. But forget the champagne rugby and festive fireworks usually expected when the Barbarians roll into town. This time, the world champions are loading live ammo.
In most cases, Barbarians games are played with end-of-season flair—like the final strum of a guitar solo at a music festival. But this isn’t the end of the year. This is the start of the Springbok campaign, and for them, it’s all about laying bricks, not throwing biscuits.
Indeed, Springbok attack coach Tony Brown—himself once a swashbuckling All Black flyhalf and architect of attacking artistry with Japan and the Highlanders—knows better than anyone how intoxicating the Baabaas brand of rugby can be. But as much as his soul craves running rugby, his job now is to make sure the Springboks stay rooted in Test-match pragmatism.
“This isn’t Barbarians vs Barbarians,” he said bluntly. “We’re preparing like it’s a full-on Test. The Barbarians have knocked over top teams before, and that’s why this is the perfect litmus test for us. It’s massive.”
Brown made it clear that there will be no room for looseness in the green and gold ranks. This game, he insisted, is not a warm-up jog; it’s the first lap in a four-game marathon that includes two matches against Italy and a bruiser against Georgia.
“If the players perform on Saturday, they’ll earn another jersey against Italy. That’s the incentive. Every man who pulls on the Bok shirt is playing for his season,” said Brown.
“We need to get our coaching spot-on and our structures in place from the get-go.”
Facing a side as unpredictable as a bouncing rugby ball on a wet field brings its own unique storm. With only five confirmed Baabaas players—led by grizzled warriors Sam Cane, Peter O’Mahony and Cian Healy—there’s little for analysts to sink their teeth into.
Brown is fully aware the Baabaas will come with flair, freedom, and fireworks because that’s their DNA, but the Boks will bring their own heavy metal.
“The Barbarians are famous worldwide for how they play and everyone knows how they play and the style they have to uphold,” says the former All Black flyhalf.
“We are pretty aware of what is coming. They will be out to play rugby that is hard for us to prepare for. They will be playing unpredictable rugby. But what we will have is a strong awareness around what we are trying to do.”
When asked if he expects to face fellow Kiwi Richie Mo’unga at flyhalf, he revealed that Mo’unga has a broken hand. But whoever lines up there will be slippery, shifty, and smart, implying the Barbarians always find a magician for that jersey.
“As far as I know Richie has a broken hand. But whoever plays flyhalf for them will be an exciting attacking player and a good player as much of the Barbarians game will revolve around innovative play from whoever is in that position,” he said.
The Bok team for Saturday’s game will be announced on Tuesday.
And while the heavens might open over Cape Town on Saturday, Brown isn’t worried.
“If the skies weep, we won’t. We’re a team that can turn a wet ball into a lethal weapon. The rain might smother the spark for them, but we know how to grind gears in the mud.”
Brown also acknowledged the unusual challenge: preparing for a side with no track record together, no video footage, no tactical blueprint to dissect.
“That’s the difference,” he said. “Normally, you face a team with combinations, with structure. But the BaaBaas? They’re rugby’s jazz band. Unscripted and untamed.”
But there’ll be no jazz hands from the Boks. Saturday is about testing the tectonic plates under South Africa’s 2025 campaign—seeing whether the foundation built on World Cup glory still holds firm under a new kind of pressure.
When the clock strikes 17:10 and the whistle shrieks through the Cape Town mist, the Springboks won’t be caught in a festival mood. They’ll be there with Test-match teeth bared, ready to shove back against rugby’s ultimate tricksters and remind the world that while flair can dazzle, it’s discipline that wins wars.
