Maggs Leads Irish Contingent For Murrayfield

…Ulster centre Kevin Maggs in action against Leinster last December…

Kevin Maggs, Justin Fitzpatrick and Kieron Dawson are the Irish players due for involvement when the Barbarians take on Scotland next Saturday at Murrayfield (kick-off 7.30pm).

Baa-Baas coach Pat Howard has named the trio in his provisional squad for the touring match. Ulster centre Maggs, who was last capped by Ireland against Japan last June, played in last year’s corresponding fixture which the Scots won 38-7 in Aberdeen.

The Bristol-born back turns 32 on Saturday week and is still Ireland’s most-capped centre with 70 appearances in green.

For the Murrayfield clash, which follows on from Saturday’s England v Barbarians tie, England World Cup stars Will Greenwood and Kyran Bracken have both accepted invitations to bring down the curtain on their first class careers by representing the Barbarians.

If Ulster prop Fitzpatrick gains some game-time, it will be his first appearance in the famous back and whited hooped shirt. The Bangor-born flanker Dawson, who will join Ulster from London Irish in July, played for the Baa-Baas during the 2003/04 season.

Barbarians’ Honorary Secretary Geoffrey Windsor-Lewis said: “We are facing a strong Scotland side and then travel on to Tbilisi to play the national team of Georgia (June 4). We have assembled a squad with a healthy balance between experience and youth and , essentially, individuals who will blend into a team with the ambition to maintain the tradition of open and successful rugby that is synonymous with the Barbarians.”

Coverage of the game is on Sky Sports 2 from 7.30pm onwards.

BARBARIANS Squad: Backs – *Rhys Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales), Steve Hanley (Sale Sharks/England), Leon LLoyd (Leicester Tigers/England), *Lee Robinson (Bristol), Will Greenwood (Harlequins/England/Lions), Kevin Maggs (Ulster/Ireland), *Tony Marsh (Clermont Auvergne/France), *Sonny Parker (Ospreys/Wales), *Chris Malone (Bath), Kyran Bracken (Saracens/England/Lions), *Jason Spice (Ospreys), *Jacob Rauluni (Bristol/Fiji).

Forwards – *Darren Crompton (Bristol), John Davies (Llanelli Scarlets/Wales), *Justin Fitzpatrick (Ulster/Ireland), *Kevin Tkachuk (Glasgow Warriors/Canada), *Pieter Dixon (Bath), *Olivier Azam (Gloucester/France), *James Hamilton (Leicester Tigers), Simon Miall (Harlequins), Hottie Louw (Llanelli Scarlets/South Africa), *Daniel Browne (Northampton Saints), Kieron Dawson (London Irish/Ireland) Jason Forster (Newport Gwent Dragons/Wales), *Brad Macleod-Henderson (GRAN Parma), Bob Skinstad (Richmond/South Africa).

* – denotes new Barbarian