The thing that struck me most about the Barbarians team on Saturday is that the backs were able to pass the ball or run with it. Unfortunately passing while running was a little beyond them

Usain Bolt is faster than even the union wingers. Why not watch him instead, he probably receives roughly the same number of passes per run out?

I agree. The passing was shoking. Admnitedly the Baa Baas hadn't played together but they were very poor.

According to Rancid's philosophy, Usain Bolt would also be considered a better athlete in the football world than Lionel Messi cos he has bigger muscles and runs faster in a straight line...................

Well, at least we saw on Saturday that Tomkins future does not lie in Rugby Union, certainly not at an international level, and I doubt there are too many clubs willing to take a punt on him either.The predictable cross field run was easily dealt with, as was the attempt to step the defence.

I reckon he'll stay on another couple of seasons as a big fish in a diminishing Wigan pond, before being tempted by the sunshine down under.

Let's face it......anywhere is preferable to a wet Wigan!

For the first and hopefully the last time, I concur with William.

Hang on - he's never played Union before, EVER, and his first game is against the 2nd-ranked team in the world and reigning Tri-Nations champions, against an invitational team of some of the world's best players. He has no idea of the intricacies of the game, or where he should be positionally, yet he does ok - makes his tackles, a couple of runs, some of the few exciting moments involve him - and he only goes and scores their only try.

It's clear in a game of giants he's not a physical match for most of them with his lean physique built for League, and it's clear there are too many players on the pitch to allow the open-space running he is capable of in League - and it was also clear he was looking for gaps RL-style, which obviously won't work without a 10m defence. None of this is a surprise to anyone with half a brain cell.

Are you saying the premier talent in English Rugby League wouldn't do well at Union if he had a season or two at club level and some decent coaching? Of course he would. Club level is a rather different prospect to playing the Australian national side. Once you pick up the gist of RU it's not that difficult - especially for backs with a bit of talent.

It'd be like asking Ben Youngs or Delon Armitage to play in a Kangaroos (or NZ) vs ROTW fixture. It would NEVER happen because we know he'd be lost and would probably get hurt. That one of our players can slot in fairly well at such a high level on his Union DEBUT says at lot about RL, and possibly more about RU.

I'm not convinced about Sam's prospects in Union. He looked lost in the game and scoring a try wasn't any reflection on him, Danny Arnold would have scored it.

His style is very much League-centric and I doubt it will ever adapt to Union in the way Robinson was able to. He looked so lightweight and floaty and lacking in the real pace some of the other backs in the game had.

He's got a nice step and is an elusive runner, which in league is great as there are more broken field moments for him to exploit. He won't get that in Union and he hasn't got it in him to get through a well organised 15 defense himself.

If I were England RU I would be looking at Ryan Hall more than Sam Tomkins.