Barbarians vs Wales Prediction: Baa-Baas to tick at Twickers against Welsh 

Steve Tandy's Wales are looking for the perfect warm-up for next month's Nations Championship with a win over the Barbarians at Twickenham on Saturday (2pm BST, S4C/BBC iPlayer). Wales finished bottom of the Six Nations in the spring but did sign off with a win over Italy which Tandy hopes to use as impetus going into a hectic summer with games against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa on the near horizon.

Below are my Barbarians vs Wales predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

*Click here for the latest Rugby Union Odds

Team News

Steve Tandy has been handicapped by not being able to pick any players with England or France clubs, among them Olly Cracknell, Tomos Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit. Front rowers Kieron Assiratti and Liam Belcher have pulled out through injury.

Hooker Dewi Lake will captain the team ahead of fit-again Jac Morgan while lock Teddy Williams will play for the first time since October.

Wales hooker Elliot Dee starts for the Barbarians against his home country with South African World Cup-winning scrum half Faf de Klerk captaining the invitational team.

Another Wales legend, George North, will come off the bench.

Barbarians vs Wales Odds

The Barbarians might be a mix-and-match team from around the world yet they are still impressive enough to persuade Betfred to make them 4/5 favourites.

Wales, on a miserable run of just three wins in 27 and missing a lot of players, are 6/5 with the draw a 16/1 poke.

Barbarians played last weekend in South Africa and lost 80-31 so the over/under points mark has been set at 75.5.

Barbarians to Win by 1-12 Points @ 11/4

Wales head coach Steve Tandy has three Nations Championship games against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa next month to occupy his thoughts at the moment.

He is already missing a bunch of his squad through unavailability for this game plus a couple more through injury and they look vulnerable to this expansive Baa-Baas group.

It is true the Barbarians were thumped 80-31 by South Africa last weekend - but Wales are no South Africa.

The Baa-Baas still managed to run in five tries in a game of eye-catching attacking rugby and precious little defence.

And those same tools, the likes of Andrew Kellaway, Alex Nankivell and the all-energy De Klerk, can enjoy themselves against the team who finished at the foot of the Six Nations.

Expect plenty of tries at both ends and a Baa-Baas win by 1-12 points.