Jacques Potgieter
Cell C Sharks-bound Springbok Jacques Potgieter headlines the list of additions to the Barbarians squad.
The invitation club will face Samoa on Saturday in a historic fixture – the 1st rugby match to be staged at London’s Olympic Stadium.
Saturday’s match will both act as a warm-up for Samoa ahead of their involvement in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England and allow officials a ‘dry run’ for when the Olympic Stadium stages 5 matches during the showpiece tournament – including the 3rd place play-off.
Before the squad was finalised on Monday the BaaBaas had already confirmed that 4 World Cup winners will feature in the game – All Blacks Ali Williams and Adam Thomson, 2011 winners with New Zealand, as well as Springboks Bakkies Botha and Wynand Olivier, who won the Web Ellis Cup with South frica in 2007.
Potgieter, who spent the last 2 seasons with the 2014 Super Rugby champion Waratahs, played 3 Tests for the Springboks in 2012.
The 29-year-old loose forward will join the Cell C Sharks in Durban in 2016 – when Super Rugby expands to an 18-team competition.
Monday’s additions include several other high-profile and international players.
Discarded Wallaby prop Benn Robinson, who has 72 Tests to his name since his debut in 2006, will add further muscle to the pack.
Behind the scrum, there are 4 Wallabies – scrumhalf Luke Burgess, flyhalf Mike Harris, as well as centres Christian Lealiifano and Ben Tapuai.
Discarded Samoan fullback Paul Williams, now with Paris-based Stade Francais, will get a chance to impress against is compatriots in a squad totalling 545 international caps.
Williams’s father, New Zealand wing great Bryan Williams, played against the Barbarians in what is considered to be the invitational side’s greatest match when a star-studded team beat the All Blacks 23 / 11 in Cardiff – a match that featured a try by legendary Wales scrumhalf Gareth Edwards often acclaimed as the best in rugby history.
Samoa begin their Rugby World Cup Pool B campaign against the United States in Brighton, on England’s south coast, with the Pacific Islanders facing South Africa, Scotland and Japan in their remaining group matches.
Barbarians squad:
Backs: Luke Burgess (Zebre / Australia), Tom English (Melbourne Rebels), Nic Groom (DHL Stormers), Mike Harris (Melbourne Rebels / Australia), Christian Lealiifano (Brumbies / Australia), Taqele Naiyaravoro (Glasgow), Wynand Olivier (Montpellier / South Africa), Dom Shipperley (Melbourne Rebels), Dwayne Sweeney (Munakata Sanix Blues), Ben Tapuai (Western Force / Australia), Paul Williams (Stade Francais / Samoa).
Forwards: Bakkies Botha (South Africa), Saia Faingaa (Reds / Australia), Liam Gill (Reds / Australia), Carl Hayman (New Zealand), Joshua Hohneck (Highlanders), Luke Jones (Melbourne Rebels), Tolu Latu (Waratahs), Jacques Potgieter (Munakata Sanix Blues / South Africa), Benn Robinson (Waratahs / Australia), Pierre Spies (Montpellier / South Africa), Adam Thomson (Reds / New Zealand), Kyle Traynor (Bristol / Scotland), Maks van Dyk (Cheetahs), Ali Williams (New Zealand).
Date: Saturday 29 August
Venue: Olympic Stadium, London
Kick-Off: 14:00 SA Time (15:00 BST, 14:00 GMT, Sunday 03:00 Samoan Time)
Referee: Johnny Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Gregory Garner (England), Paul Dix (England)
TMO: Sean Davey (England)
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