Fabien Galthié has named a star-studded line-up for the Barbarians’ fixture against England on Sunday, including three of his Grand Slam-winning France stars.
Wing Damian Penaud will wear the No.14 jersey at Twickenham just as he did against the same opponents in Round 5 of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations for France.
Loose head Jean-Baptiste Gros and flanker Dylan Cretin are also selected to start having featured as replacements in that game at the Stade de France.
Openside flanker Charles Ollivon will captain the side, a role he carried out for France and Galthié in the 2021 Championship, and is one of 10 French starters.
Former Saracens teammates George Kruis, the ex-England international is set to feature for the last time before his retirement, and Will Skelton are reunited in the second row.
The Australian’s fellow La Rochelle Heineken Champions Cup winners Levani Botia and Pierre Bourgarit are also included for the Black and White at inside centre and hooker.
Partnering Botia in midfield is France international Virimi Vakatawa while Lyon’s Baptiste Couilloud is named at scrum-half and will be joined at half-back by Pau No.10 Antoine Hastoy.
Vakatawa’s Racing 92 clubmates Yoan Tanga and Max Spring are named at No.8 and full-back respectively while rising star and uncapped Frenchman Nolann Le Garrec is among the replacements alongside Stade Francais forward Sekou Macalou.
Barbarians XV to play England
15. Max Spring (France, Racing 92), 14. Damien Penaud (France, Clermont), 13. Virimi Vakatawa (France, Racing 92), 12. Levani Botia (Fiji, La Rochelle), 11. Davit Niniashvili (Georgia, Lyon); 10. Antoine Hastoy (France, Pau), 9. Baptiste Couilloud (France, Lyon); 1. Jean-Baptiste Gros (France, Toulon), 2. Pierre Bourgarit (France, La Rochelle), 3. Beka Gigashvili (Georgia, Toulon), 4. George Kruis (England, Panasonic Wild Knights), 5. Will Skelton (Australia, La Rochelle), 6. Dylan Cretin (France, Lyon), 7. Charles Ollivon (C) (France, Toulon), 8. Yoan Tanga (France, Racing 92).
Replacements: 16. Danny Priso (France, La Rochelle), 17. Christopher Tolofua (France, Toulon), 18. Sipili Falatea (France, Clermont), 19. Thomas Lavault (La Rochelle), 20. Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92), 21. Louis Carbonel (France, Toulon), 22. Sekou Macalou (France, Stade Francais), 23, Tani Vili (France, Clermont), 24. Thomas Laclayat (Oyonnax – travelling reserve).
