Familiar faces await Ireland

Ireland internationals Alan Quinlan and Malcolm O’Kelly will face their countrymen as part of the Barbarians line-up for Friday’s non-cap international at Thomond Park in Limerick.

Munster flanker Quinlan and Leinster second row O’Kelly, who will be playing his last game before retirement, are part of a Baa-Baas side showing 11 changes from the starting XV in Sunday’s 35-26 defeat to England at Twickenham.

Fiji centre Seru Rabeni comes into midfield with Hurricanes back David Smith on the wing.

Brock Smith and Pierre Mignoni make up a new half-back pairing while Quinlan and George Smith join captain Xavier Rush in the back-row.

The front five of the pack is completely overhauled as Biarritz’s Jerome Thion partners O’Kelly at lock while David Barnes, Guinness Premiership players’ player of the year Schalk Brits and Census Johnston make up the front row.

Wing Paul Sackey, who scored two tries at Twickenham, faces a fitness test on a hamstring injury. If he is unable to feature his place on the bench will be taken by Brive’s Fabrice Estebanez.

Barbarians team to face Ireland at Thomond Park on Friday, June 4:

P Warwick (Munster); C Heymans (Toulouse), C Laulala (Cardiff Blues), S Rabeni (Leeds Carnegie), D Smith (Hurricanes); B James (Clermont Auvergne), P Mignoni (Toulon); D Barnes (Bath), S Brits (Saracens), C Johnston (Toulouse), J Thion (Biarritz), M O’Kelly (Leinster), A Quinlan (Munster), G Smith (Brumbies), X Rush (Cardiff Blues, captain).

Replacements: B August (Biarritz), J White (Leicester), R So’oialo (Hurricanes), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), B Kelleher (Toulouse), J-B Elissalde (Toulouse), P Sackey (Wasps) or F Estebanez (Brive).