As a double Rugby World Cup winner, Faf de Klerk is used to playing behind dominant packs but he believes the Barbarian F.C. forward unit is right up there.
The legendary scrum-half leads the Barbarians against Wales on Saturday and is relishing the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream.
He lined up against the Baa-Baas a week ago and now he is ready to pull on the famous black and white hoops at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham after a memorable week in London.
The Springbok said: “This is probably one of the biggest packs I’ve played with, which is a testament to this team. I’m excited to see how they go and I just want to hopefully get them on the front foot and get them playing through the Welsh.
“But I do want to see how many kilograms we can rack up on the front row. It will be quite interesting!
“The week has been absolutely fantastic. To meet boys that I’ve played with against, 11 nationalities coming together and bonding so quickly, that’s just a great testament to rugby and the Barbarians.
“It’s something really, really special and I think we’re all enjoying each other’s company and we know we don’t have a lot of time to train, so building those connections off the field has been really, really special.
“Vincent (Koch) and I found out on Saturday night. I’ve been wanting to play for the Barbarians my entire career. It just never worked out, but I jumped on the opportunity to come, so I’m very privileged and happy to be here.”
While de Klerk, who returns to Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next week, takes confidence from the size and experience from the Baa-Baas pack in front of him, he is acutely aware of a cohesive and tenacious Welsh opposition.
He expects Wales to rely on their togetherness and tactical nous at Twickenham but with fly-half Harry Plummer, he wants to play in the right areas and right times to unleash the Baa-Baas physicality.
He added: “I’ve played against them a lot. They are dogs at heart, so we know they’re going to work unbelievably hard.
“We’ve heard how hard they’ve been training in pre-season. A lot of youngsters in the group, so a lot of excitement. A lot of guys are going to play with hunger, so we’re going to have to match them physically.
“I think that’s going to be the most important thing. They’re going to be tactically very sound, but if we can match them, especially up front and with our big carriers, I think it will be an interesting game.”
Tickets for Barbarians v Wales Double Header – Allianz Stadium – Twickenham 27 June are available HERE starting from just £20* for adults and £10* for under-16s. Hospitality packages are also available from £179+VAT PP, visit www.allianzstadiumtwickenham.com *Booking fees apply.
