"Thriller" - The past 5 Barbarians matches

Here are the past 5 times that the famous invitational side has taken to the field, and how they went.

The Barbarians fell to a powerful South African side in Cape Town, losing 54–7 in the Qatar Airways Cup – the Springboks’ first home meeting with the invitational team. Despite the lopsided scoreline, the occasion carried special significance as Ireland legends Peter O’Mahony and Cian Healy both played their final professional matches. O’Mahony captained the Barbarians, closing a stellar 114-Test career, while Healy, with 137 caps, bowed out after winning a couple of scrum penalties.

In heavy rain, the Boks controlled territory early, with Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe and Vincent Tshituka scoring before half-time. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jesse Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Lood de Jager added tries after the break. Melvyn Jaminet’s clever finish from a Fainga’anuku pass gave the Baa-Baas a deserved score before Tshituka and Damian de Allende sealed an emphatic Springbok win.

Twickenham witnessed a trademark Barbarians spectacle as they outscored Fiji 45–32 to claim the Killik Cup. The star-studded side, boasting nearly a thousand Test caps, ran in seven tries in a fast, open contest. Lachlan Boshier’s early score came from a slick scrum move orchestrated by Fergus Burke and Chay Fihaki, before Fiji hit back through debutant Epeli Momo. Jonny May crossed twice – once before and once after half-time – while Fihaki’s creativity repeatedly split the Fijian defence.

Fiji’s flair shone through tries for Momo and Kemu Valetini, but the Barbarians’ accuracy proved decisive. Boshier bagged his second with a sharp dummy, and Zack Mercer finished the game in style under the posts following a superb offload from Burke. It was an end-to-end encounter worthy of both teams’ attacking reputations.

A celebratory day in Cardiff saw Wales triumph 49–26 over the Barbarians, as Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, and Leigh Halfpenny made their final international appearances. The trio, who shared 352 caps, led the tribute match at a packed Principality Stadium. Wales’ early tries from Dewi Lake, Tom Rogers, and Sam Costelow built a commanding lead, but the Barbarians – coached by Scott Robertson and Eddie Jones – fought back through Simione Kuruvoli’s double and a Jones try.

Wales pulled away late on, with Taine Plumtree, Aaron Wainwright, and Kieran Hardy (twice) all crossing. Halfpenny, who received a standing ovation when substituted, added five conversions in his farewell. Despite spirited Baa-Baas efforts from Tom Hooper and Nicolas Sanchez, Wales’ depth told in the final quarter of an emotional afternoon.

Samoa began their World Cup preparations with a 28–14 win over the Barbarians in Brive. Fritz Lee, a late inclusion, opened the scoring from a well-executed maul before the Manu extended their lead through Tumua Manu after Theo McFarland’s break. Despite early handling errors and scrum pressure, Samoa went into halftime 11–0 up and returned sharper after the break. Ereatara Enari intercepted for their third try, and Christian Leali’ifano’s penalty stretched the advantage to 28–0.

The Barbarians, featuring Tim Nanai-Williams and Jack Lam, finally broke through late on, scoring twice in the final 20 minutes. Pat Lam’s men showed flashes of their attacking class, but Samoa’s defensive intensity and physicality dominated. The win came at a cost, though, with winger Ben Lam leaving the field injured.

In a try-filled Twickenham thriller, the Barbarians edged Steve Hansen’s World XV 48–42, giving Eddie Jones a winning return to his former home. The 14-try contest was marked by Israel Folau’s controversial score, met with boos from sections of the 32,500 crowd as the RFU flew a Pride flag in solidarity. The World XV raced 21–5 ahead through Sebastian Negri, Sbu Nkosi, and Folau, before the Barbarians hit back with tries from Adam Radwan, Tevita Li, Seta Tamanivalu, and Stephan Lewies.

Gareth Anscombe and Sam Johnson added further scores as the Baa-Baas surged ahead. Nkosi’s late second set up a tense finish, but Tamanivalu’s decisive try sealed it. Captain Alun Wyn Jones, in his post-Test debut, missed a conversion to end the day in good humour and applause.