By John Beattie BBC Scotland rugby pundit

There was that famous game, that famous commentary, when the Barbarians played the All Blacks at Cardiff way back in 1972.

The pictures seem etched in black and white as the New Zealanders played in black and the Baa Baas were in black and white hoops and Phil Bennett launched an attack from a mile behind his own goal line.

OK, I'm exaggerating.

The first person he put on his backside with a wiggle of his own was Alastair Skown, a man I met in 1995 and who was still ashamed of letting that happen to him.

Then John Pullin, then JPR Williams, then John Dawes "brilliant dummy" shouted commentator Cliff Morgan of a dummy even the camera missed.

Up roared Tom David, inside to Quinnell, and then, the coup de grace: "Gareth Edwards... WHAT A SCORE!" Edwards, a gymnast, romped past Grant Batty's despairing tackle for the try that summed up rugby.

I'm almost in tears writing this. Only kidding, and I hope I got the names in order by the way.

This Saturday the Barbarians take on the Scots at Murrayfield.

The Baa Baas are a bit like deep heat, the smell of cut grass, the crispness of grotty kit hanging over the radiator, wet boots festering at the bottom of your kit bag, and the ample support of a new jock strap in that they are inextricably linked to the very fabric of the best participation sport in the world.

When we close our eyes and imagine the perfect rugby match the Barbarians will be on one side, flinging the ball around among the mighty men at the top of their game.

But they are of an era. You always wanted the Barbarians to win, while nowadays that's plainly a silly thing in professional times.