Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Alfie Barbeary compared to Bok World Cup winner and tipped to be 'premier' in Europe

Alfie Barbeary of Bath Rugby with the ball runs in his team's fifth try during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs at The Recreation Ground on December 02, 2023 in Bath, England. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)

Joint top of the Gallagher Premiership, two wins from two in the Investec Champions Cup- this has been a great start to the season for Bath, helped largely by their recruitment drive over the last two seasons.

ADVERTISEMENT

Of all clubs in England, Bath may have profited the most from the influx of available players that came from Worcester Warriors’ and Wasps’ collapse last season. One of those was No8 Alfie Barbeary, who had been touted as a future England player ever since making his Premiership debut for Wasps as a teenager.

No one has ever doubted the power he packs in contact, but the thing that has held him back has been the number of injuries he has already suffered at such an early stage in his career. Now 23, his head coach Johann van Graan believes his injury problems may now be a thing of a past.

Video Spacer

Jamie George passionately defends Owen Farrell | Big Jim Show | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 3:17
Loaded: 0.00%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 3:17
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Jamie George passionately defends Owen Farrell | Big Jim Show | RPTV

    RugbyPass tv

    Once his injury problems are taken away, Bath are left with an elite ball carrier. In fact, van Graan thinks he is left with a player who can become the best ball carrier in Europe.

    As a guest on The Rugby Pod this week, van Graan discussed his No8 at length, describing what an impact he has made on Bath since arriving in November 2022, and how he wants to make the former England under-20 star fitter.

    “When I came into Bath, one of the big deficiencies that I saw was that this was a team without ball carriers,” the South African said.

    “I tried to look in the Premiership who can be a premier ball carrier. If I use the example of Jasper Wiese, I looked at somebody who could be that guy. Then I targeted Alfie. When I met him the first time, I said ‘look, there’s a lot of things I can say, but the one thing I see in your game is that you can become the premier ball carrier here in Europe, and that’s why I want you in my team.’

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I signed him when he had that big hamstring operation and said ‘look, I’ve got the utmost confidence in [the medical team] to get you right. We’ve got to have your buy-in.’ He worked so hard to come back against Leicester, he had one amazing carry which said to me yes, this is the guy. Then he got injured again and that was very difficult for him because he’s had some big disappointments from injuries. We took our time, we built him up and we potentially took one or two weeks longer in the Prem Cup, we brought him back against Exeter. In his professional career, this is the longest run of games that he’s had. So he’s well conditioned. We want to get him fitter, we want to make him more robust, but he’s made a massive difference to us.

    Related

    “He’s his own man, but he can carry a ball and he absolutely loves to run into contact.

    “We’ve signed specific people in specific roles. It’s not about ‘that’s a nice player, let’s get him in.’ I’m looking for specific players and he fitted a premier ball carrier at No8.”

    With a string of games under his belt this season, van Graan’s confidence in Barbeary is starting to pay off handsomely. The No8 scored a try in the Champions Cup win over Cardiff in Wales on Saturday, and proved to be quite a handful for his opponents while on the field.

    With the Six Nations fast approaching, there are only a few more weeks for players to turn the head of Steve Borthwick. Barbearey will undoubtedly be on the head coach’s radar, and he will be wanting to make another statement this Saturday with a visit from Harlequins.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Boks Office | Episode 42 | Investec Champions Cup Final Review

    Saitama Wildknights vs Kubota Spears | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Semi Final Replay

    Spain's Incredible Rugby Sevens Journey to the World Championship Final | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 14

    Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

    The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    1 Comment
    C
    Clive 523 days ago

    AB has been massively overrated by the meeja since he burst onto the scene, why not wait until he has actually achieved summat before blowing smoke up his Rse?

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    S
    Solenn Bonnet 15 days ago
    Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

    My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

    CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

    EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    WhatsApp.. +15617263697

    website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    Telegram.. +15617263697

    0 Go to comments
    LONG READ
    LONG READ Champions Cup Final: Chemistry 20-28 Physics Champions Cup Final: Chemistry 20-28 Physics
    Search