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Flip out after Bulls say NO!

Cape Town - Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe has withdrawn from the Barbarians squad after the Bulls refused to release the player on short notice.

Van der Merwe earlier this week replaced Eben Etzebeth in the Barbarians squad after the latter withdrew with an ankle injury.

Van der Merwe was named in the starting team to face Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday but had to withdraw.

"Van der Merwe withdrew after not being released by Bulls. Short time frame to arrange replacement.  Available on very short notice. No issue of province/union release negotiation," the Barbarians announced via their official Twitter account.

He will be replaced by Irishman Mick O’Driscoll, who played for Munster and Ireland before retiring in 2012.

The Barbarians match-day 23 now features eight Springboks, eight All Blacks, five Argentinians, one Samoan and one Irishman.

Bok captain Jean de Villiers will lead the side from inside centre and will be joined in the backline by flyhalf Patrick Lambie, while Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen, Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira have all been named among the forwards, with Coenie Oosthuizen and Willie le Roux on the bench.

New Zealand's Steve Hansen is the coach.

Teams:

Barbarians:

15 Santiago Cordera, 14 Frank Halai, 13 Gavin Williams, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Charles Piutau, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Dominic Bird, 4 Mick O’Driscoll, 3 Matias Diaz, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Substitutes: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Guillermo Ruan, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Luke Whitelock, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Tom Taylor, 23 Willie le Roux.

Fiji:

TBA
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