Chris Ashton and Toulon teammates add serious firepower to squad facing England

Sunday 20 May 2018

EUROPE'S top try scorer Chris Ashton will get the chance to splash down against England for the first time when he lines up for the Barbarians at Twickenham.

The Toulon wing has proved an instant hit at the Stade Mayol this season after moving from Saracens by scoring a Top 14 record 24 tries.

Ashton scored 19 tries in 39 appearances for England before his move to France. He also collected a hat-trick of tries when playing against the Baa-baas in 2012.

He is one of four Toulon players called up by Barbarians Head Coach Pat Lam. Also selected are Argentina great Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Fijian backs Josua Tuisova and Semi Radradra.

Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick of tries against the Barbarians in 2012

They give Lam’s Barbarians a world class cutting edge while Fernandez Lobbe – who retires this summer – joins the back row resources that include double World Cup winner Victor Vito and Wales’s Justin Tipuric.

Bristol Head Coach Lam will make the final additions to the group tomorrow before the squad meets in London.

For tickets to the England v Barbarians Quilter Cup match go to www.englandrugby.com/tickets

BARBARIANS SQUAD

Backs:

Niyi Adeolokun (Connacht & Ireland)

Bundee Aki (Connacht & Ireland)

Chris Ashton (Toulon & England)

Greig Laidlaw (Clermont & Scotland)

Luke McAlister (Toulon & New Zealand)

AJ MacGinty (Sale Sharks & USA)

Charles Piutau (Ulster & New Zealand)

Semi Radradra (Toulon)

Josua Tuisova (Toulon & Fiji)

Rhodri Williams (Bristol & Wales)

Forwards:

John Afoa (Gloucester & New Zealand)

Ultan Dillane (Connacht & Ireland)

Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon & Argentina)

Ramiro Herrera (Stade Francais & Argentina)

Benjamin Kayser (Clermont & France)

Tatafu Polota-Nau (Leicester & Australia)

Sitaleki Timani (Clermont & Australia)

Justin Tipuric (Ospreys & Wales)

Loni Uhila (Clermont)

Flip van der Merwe (Clermont & South Africa)

Victor Vito (La Rochelle & New Zealand)