In rugby, there are easier assignments than lining up against South African World Cup-winning scrum-half, Faf de Klerk. That’s the job that Kieran Hardy has on Saturday afternoon when Wales face the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium.
While the meeting against the Baa-Baas lacks Test-match status, and with Wales’ first choice scrum-half, Tomos Williams, unavailable, this will allow the 30-year-old to measure himself against one of the modern greats.
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The Ospreys player doesn’t have the resume that matches de Klerk’s qualities, but when he arrives in Twickenham, he’ll be fighting for a position in Steve Tandy’s Nations Championship side.
What better way to do so than up against a two-time World Cup winner? “Yes, (I’ve played him) a few times,” began Hardy, who starts for Wales for the first time since facing South Africa last November.
“He’s exactly what he looks like on TV, isn’t it? He’s just energy everywhere he goes. It feels like he’s everywhere. I don’t know if the hair helps him a little bit with that.
“Maybe it gives him a bit of extra. But look, he’s obviously very experienced, isn’t he? And the way he runs the game for South Africa and has done over the last few years, he’s been a massive part of that.
“So I think he’ll be a good addition to the Barbarians this week. And I’ve heard he is skipper as well. So he’s probably got a bit of leadership, doesn’t he?”
Wales will add to their history with the Barbarians on Saturday, and Hardy believes it’s the perfect curtain raiser for the summer ahead. A low-stakes contest, a first in Steve Tandy’s tenure. Ideal preparation, surely, for facing Fiji next Saturday.
“To be fair, they are quite similar teams, aren’t they, in the way they want to play,” added Hardy.
“But we spoke about it this weekend, just being good at what we’re going to do, following the way we want to play the game, and then hopefully that’ll put us in good stead over the summer.
“Look, I think it’s always pressure when you play for Wales, and you want to play well for your country, but it’s definitely an opportunity.
“We know the game’s going to be pretty loose at times.
“We’re just going to be sticking to our structures and our game model as much as we can in the chaos that’s probably going to come.
Big Summer Ahead for Wales
After facing the invitational side, Wales will then quickly turn their attentions to their opening Nations Championship match against Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Hardy played in three of Wales’ five Six Nations matches, despite being selected for all matches. One of those matches included Wales ending their losing run in the championship by putting aside Italy magnificently at Principality Stadium 31-17.
On the confidence that Wales can take from what is only their third triumph since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Hardy added: “It was massive for the group. I think we felt within the group that it was coming, probably.
“A couple of performances for the games before could have gone either way with a couple of decisions, but I think the win was huge for the group and something to really build on, especially building into the World Cup.”
Expectations for Inaugural Competition
Unlike last summer, Wales head into the summer without an interim head coach. That being Matt Sherratt, now Wales’ full-time attack coach.
The aim last summer was to end a torrid run of form. 18 straight Test match defeats haunted Wales for large parts of 2025, and with emotions running high as Wales ended that drought.
A 31-22 victory against Japan in Kobe marked an international victory for the first time in 644 days. That joyous day, in the humid conditions of the indoor Noevir Stadium, also saw Hardy claim a first-half brace, which guided Wales to a 31-22 victory.
This summer of Tests, however, includes facing world champions South Africa, who thumped Wales 73-0 in Cardiff, and Argentina, who put half a century of points past Wales during the last period of autumn internationals.
That’s without stating the 12,000 miles that Wales will travel this summer. If anything, they’ve got the friendliest of starts facing Fiji, 11 miles from their training base in the Vale of Glamorgan.
On his expectations for the summer, the scrum-half said: “Obviously, we’ve spoken a little bit about building on what we did in the Six Nations.
“As the competition went along, I think our performance has got better.
“We got a good victory against Italy in the end, but I think we want to build on that and keep improving over the summer.
“It’s just an opportunity I’m looking forward to. I’m trying to put my best foot forward this weekend and try to enjoy it as well,” concluded Hardy.
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