Seventeen players with Test experience from across the world touched down in Cape Town at the start of the week, reporting for duty for the Barbarians ahead of Saturday’s Qatar Airways Cup clash against the Springboks at DHL Stadium.
The 23-man squad, which includes former Junior Springbok lock Ruben van Heerden of the DHL Stormers and coached by Robbie Deans, are preparing to take on the Springboks for the first time on South African soil.
The first four players confirmed for the fixture were the Irish centurion pair of Cian Healy (prop) and Peter O’Mahony (flanker), while former All Black captain Sam Cane and his Kiwi teammate Shannon Frizell (both loose forwards) were also locked in.
They will be joined by five more capped All Blacks in Hoskins Sotutu (loose forward), Tawera Kerr-Barlow (scrumhalf), Peter Umaga-Jensen (utility back), Leicester Fainga’anuku (wing) and Mark Tele’a (wing).
Furthermore, Joe Marchant (England), Melvyn Jaminet (France), Santiago Arata Perrone (Uruguay), David Ribbans (England), Camille Chat (France), Will Collier (England), Hassane Kolingar (France), and Paul Alo-Emile (Samoa) are all capped at Test level.
Limited tickets for the fixture are available via Ticketmaster.co.za.
Squad list:
FORWARDS:
Cian Healy (Leinster)
Will Collier (Castres)
Hassane Kolingar (Racing 92)
Paul Alo-Emile (Stade Francais)
Camille Chat (Lyon)
John Ricky Riccitelli (Auckland Blues)
David Ribbans (Toulon)
Ruben van Herdeen (Stormers)
Josh Beehre (Auckland Blues)
Hoskins Sotutu (Auckland Blues)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
Sam Cane (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Shannon Frizell (Toshiba)
Lachlan Boshier (Wild Knights)
BACKS:
Tawera Kerr Barlow (La Rochelle)
Santiago Arata Perrone (Castres)
Melvyn Jaminet (Toulon)
Josh Jacomb (Waikato Chiefs)
Peter Umaga-Jensen (Wellington Hurricanes)
Leicester Faingaʻanuku (Toulon)
Mark Telea (Auckland Blues)
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Highlanders)
Joe Marchant (Stade Francais)
