Probably the most halcyon interval within the 135-year historical past of the Barbarians, a British-based invitation-only membership identified for its free-spirited fashion, was the Seventies. The All Blacks had been famously conquered in Cardiff in 1973, with Gareth Edwards scoring what’s arguably probably the most well-known strive in rugby historical past. In February 2023, Edwards’ jersey from that match offered for £240,000, setting a file for rugby memorabilia.
All through the last decade, the Barbarians performed 88 matches, successful 57 of them. In distinction, the Springboks, marginalised by worldwide condemnation of the apartheid regime, performed solely 24 Take a look at matches. They didn’t play an official Take a look at match for 3 years following their controversial collection win over the All Blacks in 1976, which led to 29 nations boycotting the Montreal Olympics in protest of New Zealand’s refusal to help United Nations requires a sporting embargo on South Africa.
Quick ahead 4 many years, and the two-time defending Rugby World Cup champion Springboks are the most popular commodity in worldwide rugby.
When the Barbarians host the All Blacks XV on the Gtech Group Stadium in Brentford, West London, on Saturday, there shall be no fewer than 11 South Africans within the Barbarians’ beginning XV.
The formidable entrance row will function Bongi Mbonambi, a two-time Rugby World Cup winner with 56 victories in 81 Assessments, alongside Oli Kebble and Asenathi Ntlabakanye. Mbonambi will immediately oppose Jack Taylor, a 22-year-old from Soutland, who’s making his debut for the All Blacks XV and is much too younger and unassuming to be burdened by the previous.
“She’s going to be some exhausting yakka,” Taylor informed RugbyPass in a laconic southern drawl.
“The Baa-Bass are a proud membership. There’s some heavy South African boys in there, I can’t wait to get caught in.”
An unpretentious persona, coupled with a combative ‘roll you’re sleeves up’ method, has earned Taylor the center of 5 siblings from a farming background, his first worldwide call-up since that includes for the New Zealand Underneath-20s on the World Rugby Underneath-20 Championship in 2023.
Throughout the 2025 NPC, Jack Taylor elevated his appearances for Southland to 29, taking part in an important function of their first three-match successful streak since 2013. This streak included the enduring 25-10 victory over Waikato, which allowed Southland to assert the Ranfurly Defend for the primary time since 2011. Taylor, who was substituted with simply 5 minutes remaining, was captured in an emotional sideline celebration that went viral.
“We solely had it, a few days,” Taylor laughed.
No less than Taylor was capable of rating a strive within the 54-14 defeat towards Canterbury simply six days after the Hamilton heist.
“I received a little bit of stick for that, however these celebrations present simply how a lot it meant. It was bloody particular, like the nice previous days,” Taylor added.
Southland efficiently challenged for the Ranfurly Defend twice, in 2009 and 2011. Gamers like “Whoppa” (Jamie Waterproof coat), “Cabbage” (Jason Rutledge), “Gony” (Scott Eade), and “Lurch” (Josh Bekhuis) left a long-lasting impression on a era of children in Invercargill, together with Jack’s brother, Jimmy ‘The Boot’ Taylor.
The New Zealand Secondary Faculties’ first-five or fullback helped Southland Boys’ Excessive College obtain an unbelievable Nationwide Prime 4 title in 2023 by kicking a 45-meter drop purpose within the ultimate. In 2025, he additionally kicked a 40-meter drop purpose for Southland to narrowly defeat fierce rivals King’s Excessive College 27-26 with the final play of the Southern Faculties Rugby Championship.
“I don’t kick drop targets,” Jack laughed.
Nevertheless, he does rating tries. He achieved a file three tries by a Stags ahead in a single match in a 59-35 slaying of North Harbour on October 5, 2024, a recreation throughout which Rugby Park was renamed Bekhuis Park in honour of the lock’s file 144th and ultimate look for Southland. Moreover, whereas at Southland Boys’ Excessive College, Jack helped the First XV keep an unbeaten file on their house floor, Les George Oval, which stretches again to 2015.
Taylor has made 23 appearances for the Highlanders in Tremendous Rugby Pacific, debuting in a 57-24 win over the Fijian Drua in February 2023 in Dunedin, simply six months earlier than his Southland debut in a 21-29 loss to Waikato in Invercargill.
He needed to wait till 2024 so as to add to his Highlanders tally, however featured 22 instances within the final two seasons. In 2025, the Highlanders recorded the fourth-best lineout in Tremendous Rugby Pacific, whereas Taylor scored his first two Super Rugby Pacific tries and caught the eye of selectors together with his energetic play. His older brother, Harry Taylor, additionally performs hooker for Otago.
The Taylor household hails from Waimumu, a rural settlement situated 14km southwest of Gore. Although the inhabitants is barely a few hundred, it hosts the Southern Area Days, a biennial agricultural commerce present held throughout a 57-hectare (140-acre) website that draws about 700 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees.
