It might have been scrappy but there was no denying the Barbarians' physicality played a huge part in them toppling Robb College on Saturday.
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With close to three weeks of no rugby union thanks to the Country Championships on the June long wekend followed by the university holidays, the players might have been slightly underdone.
But Baa Baas coach Brad Hague was having none of it, lamenting his side were not up to scratch despite the 39-22 score-line.
"We played pretty rubbish for our standards but the boys grinded hard and dug deep," he said.
"Everyone is a bit rusty but that is no excuse. They are first graders so I don't let them use that excuse."
But he was pleased they used their size and strength to their advantage.
They scored two tries off the back of scrums close to the try-line.
"We try to build ourselves on physicality and we are a bigger and more mobile team than everyone around and we try to use that to our advantage and some days it pays off and sometimes it doesn't," he said.
The Baa Baas were reduced to 14 men at one stage, Hague bemoaning their discipline but happy with how the rest of the team "showed what they're made of."
"Our discipline, which lets us down a lot," he said.
"We are known for that and we need to try and get rid of that.
"And probably our protection of the ball.
"We have got to learn to treat that ball a bit better."
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