Tonga rugby players must be ardently hoping that they never again encounter the conditions prevailing at Thomond Park last night.

Munster props James Cronin and Brian Scott, Connacht second-row Quinn Roux and Leinster’s Jordi Murphy make their first starts in the famous colours of the Barbarians who face Tonga at Thomond Park tonight (7.30pm).

The sun shone brightly on a smattering of young Ulster stars as they held a full-strength Leicester Tigers side in a pre-season slog at Ravenhill on Saturday.