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Frans Steyn named in BaaBaas squad

London - The Barbarians on Tuesday confirmed an experienced 27-strong squad for the tour matches against England on May 28 and Ulster on June 1.

Head coach Vern Cotter will have a group with 1 018 international appearances between them at his disposal for the match at Twickenham, before heading to the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast next week.

The headline additions to the famous invitation side include South Africa's Frans Steyn, who currently plies his trade at French club Montpellier.

Steyn’s inclusion casts doubt over whether he will be included in Allister Coetzee's Springbok squad for the three-Test series against France in June.

Coetzee will name his 31-man squad on Tuesday at 13:00, with the squad expected to be in a training camp at the time of the Barbarians' matches.

Other notable inclusions are South African-born prop WP Nel (Edinburgh & Scotland), flyhalf Ian Madigan (Bordeaux Begles & Ireland), hooker Schalk Brits (Saracens & South Africa), and wings Horacio Agulla (Castres & Argentina) and Waisea Nayacalevu (Stade Francais and Fiji).

Also added to a stellar back division are Bath pair Kahn Fotuali’i and Robbie Fruean, Castres duo Rory Kockott and David Smith, and Montpellier’s Timosi Nagusa.

Joining the forward line-up are props Ben Franks (London Irish & New Zealand), Mike Ross (Leinster & Ireland), and Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier and Georgia), hooker Richard Hibbard (Gloucester and Wales) and uncapped Toulouse No 8 Gillian Galan.

The Barbarians are facing England for the 16th time since 1990, having won seven and lost eight in the overall series. They take on Ulster for the first time since 1957 but enjoyed a successful visit to Belfast last November where they beat Fiji 40-7.

Barbarians squad:

Backs: Horacio Agulla (Castres & Argentina), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Bordeaux Begles & Australia), Yann David (Toulouse and France), Kahn Fotuali’i (Bath Rugby & Samoa), Robbie Fruean (Bath Rugby), Rory Kockott (Castres & France), Ian Madigan (Bordeaux Begles & Ireland), Timoci Nagusa (Montpellier & Fiji), Waisea Nayacalevu (Stade Francais & Fiji), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster & South Africa), David Smith (Castres), Frans Steyn (Montpellier & South Africa).

Forwards: Patricio Albacete (Toulouse & Argentina), Steffon Armitage (Pau & England), Schalk Brits (Saracens & South Africa), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse & France), Corey Flynn (Star RFC & New Zealand), Ben Franks (London Irish & New Zealand), Gillian Galan (Toulouse), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester & Wales), Facundo Isa (Lyon & Argentina), Census Johnston (Toulouse & Samoa), Mikheil Nariashvili (Montpellier & Georgia), WP Nel (Edinburgh & Scotland), Mike Ross (Leinster & Ireland), Joe Tekori (Toulouse & Samoa), Jeremy Thrush (Gloucester & New Zealand).

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