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Barbarians Call Up Madigan And Ross For Tour Matches

Barbarians Call Up Madigan And Ross For Tour Matches

The Barbarians have confirmed their 27-strong tour squad for the games against England on May 28 and Ulster on June 1, with former Leinster team-mates Ian Madigan and Mike Ross both included.

The headline call-ups include prop WP Nel (Edinburgh/Scotland), out-half Ian Madigan (Bordeaux-Begles/Ireland), hooker Schalk Brits (Saracens/South Africa), and wingers Horacio Agulla (Castres Olympique/Argentina) and Waisea Nyacalevu (Stade Francais/Fiji).

The additions mean head coach Vern Cotter will have a group with 1,018 international appearances between them at his disposal for the Old Mutual Wealth Cup match at Twickenham this Sunday before heading to Ulster’s Kingspan Stadium on Thursday week.

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Also added to a stellar backs division are Bath pair Kahn Fotuali’i and Robbie Freuan, Castres duo Rory Kockott and David Smith, and Montpellier’s former Ulster winger Timosi Nagusa and Frans Steyn.

Joining the forwards line-up are props Ben Franks (London Irish/New Zealand), Leinster and Ireland’s Mike Ross, who in his final weeks as a professional player, and Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier and Georgia), hooker Richard Hibbard (Gloucester/Wales) and uncapped Toulouse number 8 Gillian Galan.

The Barbarians are facing England for the 16th time since 1990, having won seven and lost eight in the overall series. They take on Ulster for the first time since 1957 but enjoyed a successful visit to Belfast last November where they beat Fiji 40-7.

Ruan Pienaar will switch sides to appear for Ulster on June 1 and make his final appearance for the province. Connacht centre Bundee Aki, though, has been ruled out of that game due to surgery on an injured shoulder.

BARBARIANS Squad (v England/Ulster): Backs (12) – Horacio Agulla (Castres Olympique/Argentina), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Bordeaux-Begles/Australia), Yann David (Toulouse/France), Kahn Fotuali’i (Bath/Samoa), Robbie Freuan (Bath), Rory Kockott (Castres Olympique/France), Ian Madigan (Bordeaux-Begles/Ireland), Timoci Nagusa (Montpellier/Fiji), Waisea Nayacalavu (Stade Francais/Fiji), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster/South Africa), David Smith (Castres Olympique), Frans Steyn (Montpellier/South Africa).

Forwards (15) – Patricio Albacete (Toulouse/Argentina), Steffon Armitage (Pau/England), Schalk Brits (Saracens/South Africa), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse/France), Corey Flynn (Star/New Zealand), Ben Franks (London Irish/New Zealand), Gillian Galan (Toulouse), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester/Wales), Facundo Isa (Lyon/Argentina), Census Johnston (Toulouse/Samoa), Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier/Georgia), WP Nel (Edinburgh/Scotland), Mike Ross (Leinster/Ireland), Joe Tekori (Toulouse/Samoa), Jeremy Thrush (Gloucester/New Zealand).

Tickets for the Old Mutual Wealth Cup game between England and Barbarians are available from £5 for kids and £25 for adults. Visit www.englandrugby.com/tickets.

Tickets for Ulster v Barbarians, priced from £20 for adults and £12 for juniors, are on general sale at ulsterrugby.com/buytickets. For group offers and hospitality packages, call (028) 9049 3222.