Shane Jennings
Leinster’s Shane Jennings will captain the Barbarians against Ireland at Thomond Park on Thursday.
The Leinster and Ireland flank retires from the professional game in June after a distinguished career in which he has won 13 caps for Ireland, Pro12 and European Cup titles for Leinster and a Premiership title with Leicester Tigers.
He captains a starting side containing 9 different nationalities with 466 international appearances between them for the game in Limerick on 28 May.
It includes his Leinster teammates Zane Kirchner and Jimmy Gopperth with Ulster scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar also starting for the famous invitation club celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
Jennings said: “It’s an honour to lead out such an illustrious team. It’s a great highlight in my career and we’ll be determined to do the Barbarians’ jersey justice against Ireland.”
Barbarians head coach Robbie Deans has assembled a side with a sharp cutting edge containing the likes of Toulon’s leading try scorer David Smith, New Zealand’s Joe Rokocoko and British & Irish Lions wing Alex Cuthbert in the back line.
Lions tighthead Adam Jones anchors a scrum containing a powerful 2nd row combination in Uruguay’s Rodrigo Capo Ortega and Georgia’s Konstantin Mikautadze.
Japan’s Ryu Koliniasi Holani is a dynamic No 8 from Deans’s club side Panasonic Wild Knights.
The Ireland squad is a mixture of Leinster and Ulster players, with Connacht players rested after their match on Sunday.
There are 3 uncapped players in the forwards – Tadgh Furlong, Ben Marshall and Jack Conan.
The backs include the uncapped Luke McGrath, Colm O’Shea, Cian Kelleher and Stuart McCloskey.
Barbarians: 15 Zane Kirchner (Leinster & South Africa), 14 Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues & Wales), 13 Joe Rokocoko (Bayonne & New Zealand), 12 Wynand Olivier (Montpellier & South Africa), 11 David Smith (Toulon), 10 James Gopperth (Leinster), 9 Ruan Pienaar (Ulster & South Africa), 8 Ryu Koliniasi Holani (Panasonic Wild Knights & Japan), 7 Gerhard Vosloo (Toulon), 6 Shane Jennings (Leinster & Ireland, Captain), 5 Konstantin Mikautadze (Toulon & Georgia), 4 Rodrigo Capo Ortega (Castres & Uruguay), 3 Adam Jones (Cardiff Blues & Wales), 2 Deon Fourie (Lyon), 1 Roberto Tejerizo (Tucuman & Argentina)
Replacements: 16 David Ward (Harlequins), 17 Saimone Taumoepeau (Castres & New Zealand), 18 Matias Diaz (Pampas & Argentina), 19 George Whitelock (Panasonic Wild Knights & New Zealand), 20 George Smith (Lyon & Australia), 21 Tomas Cubelli (Belgrano Ath & Argentina), 22 Tusi Pisi (Suntory Sungoliath & Samoa), 23 Gio Aplon (Grenoble & South Africa).
Ireland Squad:
Forwards: Michael Bent, Jack Conan, Robbie Diack, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie Heaslip (Captain), Chris Henry, Rob Herring, Jack McGrath, Ben Marshall, Jordi Murphy, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, Dan Touhy.
Backs: Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson, Dave Kearney, Rob Kearney, Cian Kelleher, Stuart McCloskey, Luke McGrath, Ian Madigan, Luke Marshall, Colm O’Shea, Eoin Reddan, Noel Reid.
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