Bongi must go big for the BaaBoks against All Blacks

Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi has the perfection playing opportunity for the South African-powered Barbarians FC against the All Blacks XV, writes Mark Keohane. 

Stormers rugby boss John Dobson and his Bristol equivalent Pat Lam will guide the Barbarians against Jamie Joseph’s All Blacks XV and 17 South African-born players feature among the match 23, with six Stormers players, including hooker Andre-Hugo Venter.

But it is big Bongi, a larger than life presence in the Boks journey to back to back World Cups, who will want to make a statement against the men in black.

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Mbonambi, when at his best, among the sport’s best in the past decade, did not make the Springboks squad for the five-Test tour up north, which starts with a hit-out against Japan at Wembley on Saturday.

Brentford Stadium in London is not quite Wembley but it does give Mbonambi and Huge-Venter a precious hit-out and a possible call-up to the Springboks for the remainder of November.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been banned for eight weeks and will miss the tour. Mbonambi was named among the standby list of players by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus and must be favoured to join the Boks on Monday as they prepare for the one-off Test against Italy.

Evan Roos, the in-form Stormers No 8, is also on that standby list. Roos will start at No8 for the Barbarians.

Former Bull and current Leicester captain Hanro Lienbernberg with captain the side from flank, with Ernst van Ryn (lock), and Bernard Janse van Rensburg (centre) two more South African players who can make a statement as big as they do weekly in the English Prem.

Zels and I chatted on the Keo & Zels podcast about the importance of the match for Mbonambi, whose form has been indifferent with the Sharks in the URC.

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One-Test Springbok Rob du Preez starts at No 10. Du Preez has been a standout at Sale Sharks and there will be plenty of interest in the performance of SA under 20s flanker Batho Hlekani and Bulls lock Cobus Wiese.

The match kicks-off 15.15 (SA time) on Saturday.

BARBARIANS – 15 Max Mallins, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Fitz Harding, 6 Hanro Liebenberg (c), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble.
Bench: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 Brad Webber, 22 Dan du Plessis, 23 Rhyno Smith.