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Retiring duo Toner and Wood named to start for Barbarians in Spain

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Ex-Wales midfielder Hadleigh Parkes will skipper the Barbarians in Saturday’s match versus Spain, the game that will the last professional appearance for fellow starters Devin Toner, who turns 36 on June 29, and the 35-year-old Tom Wood along with 38-year-old replacement Joe Tekori.

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The respective former Ireland, England and Samoan internationals are all set to hang up their boots following the match in Gijon that the Barbarians have completely revamped for following last Sunday’s entertaining win over England at Twickenham.

France coach Fabien Galthie was in charge for that encounter last weekend and he named a starting team that included 14 Top 14-based players along with ex-England lock George Kruis, who was the man of the match in his last game before retirement.

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INSIDE THE BARBARIANS | Go behind the scenes with one of the most iconic rugby clubs in the world

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INSIDE THE BARBARIANS | Go behind the scenes with one of the most iconic rugby clubs in the world

Former Cardiff boss John Mulvihill is this week’s Barbarians head coach and he has named a start XV consisting of eight different nationalities – four Welsh players, three Irish, two each from Samoa and New Zealand as well as one representative from South Africa, France, Tonga and England.

Wiehahn Herbst and Seabelo Senatla had been named in the squad earlier this week but their places have since gone to replacement Allan Dell and starting right wing Owen Lane.

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Barbarians president John Spencer said: “We are very much looking forward to this week as we prepare to face Spain next Saturday night. The club is buzzing after a wonderful victory over England on Sunday and this new squad, coached by John, is excited to take up the reins and embody the Barbarians’ ethos and playing style: spirit, passion, courage and flair, united by lifelong friendship.”

BARBARIANS (vs Spain, Saturday):
15. Tim Nanai-Williams (Samoa); 14. Owen Lane (Wales), 13. Rey Lee-Lo (Samoa), 12. Hadleigh Parkes (capt, Wales), 11. Adam Byrne (Ireland); 10. Rhyno Smith (South Africa), 9. Sebastian Bezy (France); 1. Ed Byrne (Ireland), 2. Scott Baldwin (Wales), 3. Charlie Faumuina (New Zealand), 4. Devin Toner (Ireland), 5. Steve Mafi (Tonga), 6. Tom Wood (England), 7. James Botham (Wales). 8. Abraham Papali’i (New Zealand). Reps: 16. Kirby Myhill (Wales), 17. Allan Dell (Scotland), 18. Scott Andrews (Wales), 19. Joe Tekori (Samoa), 20. Rob Harley (Scotland), 21. Dan Baker (Wales), 22. Mathis Galthie (France), 23. Ahsee Tuala (Samoa)

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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