The ninth episode of the Springboks-Barbarians story will play out in Cape Town on Saturday when Rassie Erasmus’ men host the legendary invitational outfit, and history promises a cracking contest.

The world champions face the Baa Baas for the first time since 2016 – and for the first-time ever in South Africa – when the teams clash at Cape Town Stadium.

It also marks the Boks’ first match of the season, after a successful 2024 campaign that yielded 11 wins in 13 Tests, as well as a Rugby Championship title.

The teams will compete for the Qatar Airways Cup, which the Boks have held since defeating the All Blacks at Twickenham in 2023, and Wales at the same London venue last year.

All eight of the previous matches between the Boks and Baa Baas were staged in Europe, with South Africa winning three, the Barbarians winning four, and one match ending in a draw.

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The Barbarians were formed in 1890, when William Percy Carpmael, a player for both Blackheath and Cambridge University, realised his dream of “spreading good fellowship amongst all rugby football players” and harnessing the game’s virtues, namely “flair, courage, spirit and passion”.

In 1952, the Barbarians played their inaugural fixture against the Boks at Cardiff Arms Park in Wales, which South Africa won 17-3. Nine years later, the Baa Baas claimed their first victory against the Boks, winning 6-0 at the same venue.

The next two meetings followed a similar pattern, with the Boks winning 21-12 at Twickenham in 1970, before the Barbarians pulled one back in 1994, winning 23-15 at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.

In 2000, the Boks rounded off a largely successful tour of Argentina and Europe with a 41-31 victory over the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium. Although nobody knew it at the time, that result in Cardiff would mark the Boks’ last win against the black-and-white hoops for a quarter of a century.

After winning the 2007 World Cup in France, a much-changed Bok side lost 22-5 to the Barbarians at Twickenham. The next contest in 2010 was closer, although the Barbarians still managed to win 26-20 in London.

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The most recent meeting was staged at London’s Wembley Stadium, with Allister Coetzee in charge of the Boks and former Crusaders and Wallabies coach Robbie Deans at the helm of the Barbarians.

Flyhalf Pat Lambie captained the Boks on that occasion, Malcolm Marx, RG Snyman, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jesse Kriel were part of the starting lineup, while an exciting mix of players including Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth and Jean-Luc du Preez manned the bench.

Apart from Lambie, all of the aforementioned players are still part of the wider squad today, with Kriel captaining the Boks on Saturday after Siya Kolisi was withdrawn due to a neck injury.

The Barbarians led 17-12 at half time, before South Africa hit back in the second stanza with three tries. Rohan Janse van Rensburg’s touchdown in the 77th minute ensured that the Boks came away from Wembley with a 31-31 draw.

The Barbarians, again with Deans as head coach, will be gunning for a historic result on South African soil, while the Boks will be highly motivated to end that winless streak and to take some momentum into the Incoming Series against Italy and Georgia in July.

Photo: Joel Ford/Getty Images