Toulon
head coach Philippe Saint-André has ensured there is more
than a whiff of 'je ne sais quoi' among the Barbarians'
squad to face England at Twickenham this Sunday.
Saint-André is in charge of the Barbarians for this match -
and their subsequent game against Ireland - and his
connections have helped bring in 11 France-based players (as
well as Toulon-bound Paul Sackey) as they help England
prepare for their summer tour to Australia and New Zealand.
The
Barbarians have no less than four of Stade Toulousain's
Heineken Cup winners in their starting line-up (Florian
Fritz, Cédric Heymans, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Byron
Kelleher), with a further place on the bench for prop Census
Johnstone.
For
Elissalde it represents a suitably high-profile swansong
after the 31-year-old confirmed his retirement in the
aftermath of Toulouse's victory last weekend. The popular
French international will start at fly-half ahead of taking
up the role of backs coach at the four-time European
champions.
Beaten
finalists Biarritz provide two further players with Benoit
August the starting hooker and club captain Jérôme Thion on
the bench, while veteran Stade Francais prop Rodrigo Roncero
and Toulon lock Ross Skeate are also in the starting XV.
Toulon's Pierre Mignoni and Brive's Fabrice Estebanez are
also on the bench.
And it's
not just the invitational team which will feature
France-based players at Twickenham on Sunday, with England
naming departing Brive hooker Steve Thompson as well as
Stade Francais pair Tom Palmer and James Haskell in their
starting XV.
Number
eight Nick Easter captains the side in the combined absence
of Steve Borthwick (rested) and Lewis Moody (playing for
Leicester), while Jonny Wilkinson sits out this game despite
being cleared of a cracked rib after going off during
Toulon's ACC final defeat against Cardiff Blues on Sunday.
With
Toby Flood otherwise engaged (again with Leicester) that
means a starting recall for Sale's Charlie Hodgson at
fly-half after two years in the international wilderness.
"It's a fresh start, who knows what will
happen?," said Hodgson after his selection. "I'm just
focused on this weekend, I'll enjoy it and see what comes
from it," added the 29-year-old.
England
manager Martin Johnson is also using the non-cap
international to blood three novices, with Bath centre
Shontayne Hape, Newcastle prop Jon Golding and Gloucester
lock Dave Attwood all getting the nod.
England starting XV: B Foden (Northampton); M Cueto
(Sale), M Tindall (Gloucester), S Hape (Bath), D Strettle
(Harlequins); C Hodgson (Sale), D Care (Harlequins); J
Golding (Newcastle), S Thompson (Brive), P Doran-Jones
(Gloucester), D Attwood (Gloucester), T Palmer (Stade
Francais), J Haskell (Stade Francais), S Armitage (London
Irish), N Easter (Harlequins, Capt)
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), T Payne (London Wasps),
D Ward-Smith (London Wasps), J Worsley (London Wasps), O
Barkley (Bath), M Tait (Sale)
Barbarians starting XV: P Warwick (Munster); P Sackey
(London Wasps), C Lualua (Cardiff), F Fritz (Stade
Toulousain), C Heymans (Stade Toulousain); Jean-Baptiste
Elissalde (Stade Toulousain), B Kelleher (Stade Toulousain);
R Roncero (Stade Francais), B August (Biarritz), J White
(Leicester), R Skeate (Toulon), B Kay (Leicester), R
So'oialo (Wellington Hurricanes), M Williams (Cardiff), X
Rush (Cardiff, Capt)
Replacements: K Owens (Scarlets), C Johnston (Stade
Toulousain), J Thion (Biarritz), G Smith (Brumbies), P
Mignoni (Toulon), F Estebanez (Brive)
