Wallabies v Barbarians: What we learned from Michael Cheika's first game as coach The Barbarians were out to express themselves when they took on the Wallabies, pulling out all their party tricks for the one off game Quade Cooper was rusty in his first game for the Wallabies this year. TRICK plays, defensive dramas, Quade Cooper's rust, the Honey Badger's commentating skills and more - what we learned from the Wallabies" clash with the Barbarians. Last year's Spring Tour was a high point in Quade Cooper's Test career, but he faces a massive challenge to return to that level over the coming month. In fact he faces a massive challenge just to get on the field again, with the Queensland Reds star clearly behind Bernard Foley in the Wallabies playmaking pecking order right now. Cooper made his long-awaited 2014 Wallabies debut at Twickenham and while there were some nice moments, his game was highlighted by a rustiness that was to be expected of a player who had just a trio of NRC cameos to show for the past three months. VIDEO: Honey Badger calls the Queen a "former flame" HEADLINE FAIL: Newspaper calls All Blacks "Aussies" Quade Cooper shapes to pass against the Barbarians at Twickenham. "Quade was just a little bit off his game I felt," former Wallaby Rod Kafer told Fox Sports News. He's just not quite there, not as sharp as we've seen him. Cooper's immediate goal will be winning a bench spot, and then making the most of any time he does get on the paddock. Foley, who replaced Cooper after nearly an hour and immediately straightened up the Wallabies attack, is all but assured of starting against Wales in Cardiff this weekend, alongside his NSW Waratahs halves partner Nick Phipps. What a year 2014 has been for Sean McMahon. The 20-year-old has made his Super Rugby debut - for the Melbourne Rebels - plus captained Australia's under-20s side at the Junior World Championships, won a bronze medal in sevens at the Commonwealth Games and won the NRC player of the year award for his starring role with Melbourne Rising. Now the Brisbane product looks on the verge of a Test debut, after a barnstorming performance off the bench against the Barbarians, which included a try. An injury to Scott Higginbotham, the player replaced at Twickenham, has left Australia's back-row stocks low and McMahon could be called upon for a bench role against Wales. "He was great," said Kafer. He played well above his weight, did a really good job, he's a real player of the future no question. Sean McMahon played a blinder for the Wallabies against the Barbarians. A win's a win, right? Right, so Michael Cheika would have been happy from at least that point of view after kickstarting his career as Wallabies career with a 40-36 victory, however narrow. But there is much for the new coach to work on, as if he didn't know that already. Chief among the Cheika's issues is sort out the Wallabies defence, after they leaked five tries to a make-shift outfit that had been pieced together in just a week. "It's a big problem," Kafer said. It's been a problem for the last couple of seasons, our defence probably hasn't been as good as it could have been. Now they've made some changes with Nathan Grey coming in. It'll be an absolute focus for Michael Cheika. He'll want to improve that aspect really strongly.  Nick Cummins dives over for one of the Barbarians" five tries. Cult figure Nick Cummins showed Australian rugby fans he can still be something of a force on the international stage with an all-action performance for the Barbarians. The former Western Force winger scored a try - or in his terms bagged some meat - set up another and was involved in plenty of the Baa-Baas" best rugby. It was a nice little reminder from the 15-Test Wallaby, now based in Japan, to the new Wallabies coach of his all-round energy and finishing skills. And the cult figure was quick to let Cheika know post-game that he was interested in making himself available for next year's World Cup - provided a deal could be struck with his Coca Cola Red Sparks club. Cheik, I'm still on the burst. If you're keen just have a yarn with the Japanese and get me on the burst, I'm in," he said. There was more, with Cummins also taking time out to commentate the try that he scored, a nice set move which saw him run on to a pop pass from Tim Nanai-Williams and steam through a hole to score under the sticks. You beauty, she's opened up and he's over! A bit of meat under the posts. Tries, more tries, trick plays, running rugby - the Barbarians certainly didn't disappoint fans of flair. While Cheika will have been unhappy that the Wallabies let the Barbarians back into the contest late in the game, the match certainly proved an entertaining spectacle. As Cummins himself declared, "It was back and forth, it was up and down, it was bloody everywhere. It was just bloody enjoyable rugby. Aside from the tries - and there were plenty of those, most of high quality - two passages of play stand out for their inventiveness, if not quite their execution. It took just a couple of minutes for the Barbarians to show their willingness to chance their arm, with All Blacks back-rower Steven Luauta stepping forward to take an audacious lineout throw he speared NFL-style some 40 metres. It was a bold play, but it almost paid off - only Cummins dropped the ball when he should have done better. A matter of minutes and they were at it again. After winning a penalty five metres out from the line, the Barbarians players line up for a set play. Halfback Tomas Cubelli, with his back to the tryline, tapped the ball but instead of passing launched a perfectly placed reverse chip kick over his head as the Baa-Baas charged ahead. Again, it didn't quite come off, but it was an welcome change to taking a shot for goal. As Fox Sports Rugby's Greg Clark said in commentary, "anything is possible with the Barbarians."