South African and New Zealander combine to coach Baa-Baas in historic All Blacks XV clash
Pat Lam and John Dobson to lead Barbarians.
The Barbarians have announced that Pat Lam and John Dobson will take charge of the invitational outfit this November when they face the All Blacks XV in Brentford.
Bristol Bears director of rugby Lam and Stormers boss Dobson will lead a star-studded line-up into the clash at Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium on November 1.
The match marks the Barbarians’ first-ever appearance at the Gtech Community Stadium, and will see two attack-minded coaches bringing their philosophies to a squad packed with internationals and some of the game’s up-and-coming stars.
Honour and pride
“Pat and John are coaches who embody everything the Barbarians stand for – innovation, attacking intent, and a passion for bringing players together from around the world,” said John Spencer, president of Barbarian F.C.
“As a Barbarian himself, Pat is fully aware of the honour and pride players have in putting on the club jersey.
“With their track records of success and the attacking flair they champion, this promises to be another thrilling chapter in our long history with New Zealand sides. We know the supporters will be in for a feast of rugby on November 1st.”
Lam brings a wealth of Barbarians pedigree. A dynamic number eight in his playing days, Lam was capped 34 times by Samoa and represented the Barbarians as a player six times between 2001 and 2002.
His last appearance as a player came in the famous black and white jersey as he captained the Baa-Baas to a famous 40-25 victory over Wales in Cardiff, where he scored the final try of the match.
He took on coaching duties with the world-famous invitational side in 2018 and 2019, leading the Barbarians to a record-breaking, nine-try 63-45 win over England at Twickenham – when Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick.
As a coach, Lam has enjoyed consistent success, guiding Connacht to a historic PRO12 title in 2016, and transforming Bristol Bears into one of the Gallagher PREM’s most-exciting teams. The Bears lifted the European Challenge Cup in 2020, and have reached the PREM play-offs three times (2020, 2021 and 2025).
Known for his attacking philosophy and ability to unite diverse playing groups, Lam epitomises the Barbarians’ values of flair, friendship, and adventure.
“It’s a great honour for me to once again be given the opportunity to be involved with the Barbarians,” Lam said. “This is a historic club, and for me the ethos has never changed for the Baa-Baas across the amateur and professional eras of the game.
“Every time I am involved with the team, I point to that legendary try against the All Blacks in 1973, because it has everything that great rugby’s about – skill, no fear, superb support play, and keeping the ball alive no matter what.
“It’s special because everyone is playing as hard as they can for that Black and White jersey, and that’s what we’ll look to get out of the group of players in November. We want them to back their skills and back their teammates.
“It’s always a challenge as a Barbarians group to do that in such a short period of time, but I love that challenge. Touring sides, such as our opponents, the All Blacks XV, have a lot longer together and a lot of cohesion, but we’ll be trying to put the framework in place for the Barbarians to come together as a group as quickly as possible and express themselves.
“I’ve never worked with John before, so I am really looking forward to that too. He’s a quality coach who has done a fantastic job with the Stormers. The Barbarians is all about bringing players together from all over the world, and it’s great fun to do that as a coach.”
Dobson, current head coach of the Stormers, joins Lam in leading the Barbarians. He steered the Cape Town-based side to the inaugural United Rugby Championship title in 2022 and has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s most innovative and engaging coaches.
Throughout his 17-year coaching career, Dobson has consistently developed winning teams while promoting expansive, high-tempo rugby that aligns perfectly with the Barbarians’ DNA.
This will be Dobson’s first time coaching the Baa-baas, and his inclusion alongside Lam underlines the Club’s proud tradition of celebrating global coaching talent.
Dobson said: “It’s a huge honour to be joining the Barbarians for this match against the All Blacks XV.
“I was only a few years old when my dad started replaying the famous 1973 game between the Baa-baas and New Zealand for me to watch, and growing up in South Africa – where we’re known for playing a traditional, physical style of rugby – the Baa-baas has always been the zenith of how rugby should be played.
“They play beautiful rugby, and the team has a mysticism about it in South Africa. It is very special, so for me to be involved now is brilliant.
“I am really looking forward to working with Pat too. I watched what he did with Connacht and now Bristol Bears are always one of the teams we look at, in terms of how they play and how they set-up their attack.
“We have a similar mindset at the Stormers; we always want to entertain. So, working with Pat, and the Barbarians, given how we all approach the game, it should be a match made in heaven.
“Professional rugby can feel very serious at times. I think it’s important to treat everybody fantastically, have a lot of fun, and connect – and if you do that, it can trump the technical and physical stuff. That’s what the Barbarians always do; they come together against teams that have been together for a long time and do something extraordinary.”
Second clash with All Blacks XV
The Barbarians will lock horns with the All Blacks XV for only the second time, following a high-octane debut meeting in 2022 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in what was the first-ever international rugby match held at the world-class venue.
With Scott Robertson (now head coach of the All Blacks) at the helm of an inspired and star-studded Baa-Baas side, the hosts edged an exhilarating contest 35-31 – with Zach Mercer, Lekima Tagitagivalu, Joe Marchant, Teddy Thomas, Rhys Webb and Antoine Hastoy all on the scoresheet.
Before that clash, the Baa-Baas and New Zealand’s top-tier team, the All Blacks, had met 11 times. The All Blacks notched up eight wins, the Barbarians claimed two historic victories in 1973 and 2009, and 1974’s fixture ended in a 13-13 draw at Twickenham.
With Lam and Dobson now steering the ship, fans can expect another high-octane contest full of ambition, skill, and entertainment.
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