On the strength of that game, it's quite damning that most of the players are "up to international rugby union".

Admittedly I have only just seen the highlights, but some of the defensive attempts by the Baa-Baas were laughable, one thing that always strikes me when I watch union is that some of the players' technique is horrible, going in with heads the wrong side just asking to be knocked out.

Apart from being generally incapable of passing accurately, offloading,catching or tackling the Barbarians didn't look that bad to me. At least Tomkins didn't give them any cause to denigrate RL. Must have been the easiest money he's ever made playing rugby.

www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/mat ... _1,00.html "When I came in on Tuesday I was so raw I didn't even know what the numbers for each position were," said Tomkins. "The boys were saying 'we'll play this off the 12 or the 10' and I didn't even know where those blokes were so that was a bit of a challenge. "There are so many differences between league and union. I understand it a little bit more now. "Where I am from people don't know what rugby union is and I am glad I have had the chance to play but I am still a rugby league player. "The try was a good way to finish it off but we didn't manage to get much going."

www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/mat ... _1,00.html "When I came in on Tuesday I was so raw I didn't even know what the numbers for each position were," said Tomkins. "The boys were saying 'we'll play this off the 12 or the 10' and I didn't even know where those blokes were so that was a bit of a challenge. "There are so many differences between league and union. I understand it a little bit more now. "Where I am from people don't know what rugby union is and I am glad I have had the chance to play but I am still a rugby league player. "The try was a good way to finish it off but we didn't manage to get much going."

I haven't seen the game, but I got a text off a Yawnion-bumming mate simply saying, "Tomkins is having a f****** nightmare"

all in all the barbarians was terrible falling off tackles not passing accurate 5 meters away to say it was hes first game your mate is talking bull.



i would say watch the game for your self but it was terrible. any one have the numbers on miss tackles, incomplete passes, knock ons and forward passes? to be fair sam soar the ball a few times but the passes were either behind him, at hes feet or he was cleaning up a loose ball. the only time they put a couple of decent passes together he scored. he had the chance to stop one try but to be fair it was a big forward and he looked very uninterested at that point. got iscolated once early on and he looked nervous at backing him self. really he could of scored 3 trys.



any rugby union fan who says they are better atheletes or even more skillfull they are a first grade nutter.



one thing union commentators are very good at is ignoring the obvious, it was crap and unskill full but they never made a real negative comment where as eddie and stevo would be moaning about it till 2017.

You should patent this and make bumper stickers, you'd sell thousands.

Finally, a voice of reason.



Despite the subpar basic skills in relation to League, Rugby backs if anything are immense athletes. I really don't think too many out and out League fans realise just how good the best Rugby players are, strictly from an athletic stand point. There's tons of ing gun backs in Rugby. There's hundreds of wingers, centres and fullbacks who athletically are as good as our best, with many putting ours to shame.



If League teams had a raised cap - above that of Rugby to the point you could entice some ruggers - you could bet your that League clubs would be raiding the out of Rugby. NZ in particular have some ANIMALS.



Anyone saying Tomkins shouldn't have been played on the wing also imo are kidding themselves. Tomkins outside of Freuan was the ing best place for him, because Freuan will break the line for fun. The right side was obviously the strongest.



It's infuriating to me that Rugby has so many phenomenal athletes in the backline and even in the forwards these days(thinking of the modern day number 8's), because if they were bred into League they'd be stars. No question. English League in particular has real problems breeding freak athletes, even compared to Aus and NZ League players, who are in many ways inferior to Rugby players, at least in the backline.



Your Freuans, Rangers, Toevas, Gears, Habanas, Chavangas, Tuilagis, even your Ojo's and Monyes would tear it up.



I have no ing idea why the book wasn't thrown at someone like Hosea Gear a few years back. Even today the NRL should be trying to steal players like Freuan and Ranger. The game might not be all that but there's some ridiculous athletes in Rugby.

That's actually wrong. The best place for Tomkins was on Frueans outside. He's safe from exposure on the wing and Fruean is always breaking and putting the men on his side into open field.

Was he the one that couldn't pass?

Even I know there's no way Tomkins could play stand off or full back in Union without alot of practice. Wing is the only place they could play him after a few days.

Even I know there's no way Tomkins could play stand off or full back in Union without alot of practice. Wing is the only place they could play him after a few days.