Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe and Wales’ Elliot Dee are set to feature for the Barbarians in their upcoming match against South Africa this Saturday. The fixture is scheduled to kick off at 14:00 BST.
Key Players Featured
Van der Merwe will participate in the game against the Springboks before joining Gregor Townsend’s squad for the Nations Championship. Dee, a hooker for the Dragons with 56 caps to his name, was notably absent from Steve Tandy’s squad selection for the summer.
The Barbarians, often referred to as the ‘Baa-Baas’, will be led by New Zealand scrum-half TJ Perenara. The squad also includes Argentina’s fly-half Tomas Albornoz. Other notable players in the lineup are Edinburgh’s D’Arcy Rae and Liam McConnell, both of whom are also part of Scotland’s summer squad. Munster centre Alex Nakivell is another addition to the team.
Double-Header Fixtures
The Barbarians men are scheduled to face the Springboks and then proceed to play against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, June 27th. This double-header event will also feature a women’s fixture, commencing at 17:00 BST.
South Africa’s Preparations
South Africa is utilizing these matches as preparation for the Nations Championship. Notably, their contingent from the Bulls will be absent due to the United Rugby Championship (URC) Grand Final taking place on Friday between Leinster and the Bulls at 19:30 BST.
Rassie Erasmus, the South African coach, is expected to use this opportunity to evaluate several emerging talents. The double-header event at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will commence with South Africa A taking on Zimbabwe in an earlier fixture.
Venue and City Information
These matches are being held in Gqeberha, a city formerly known as Port Elizabeth.
Team Lineups
South Africa Starting XV:
Fassi; Kolbe, Kriel, Esterhuizen, van der Merwe; Horn, Williams; Nche, Venter, Sadie, Norton, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), du Toit, Wiese.
Replacements:
Kotze, Mchunu, Porthen, Dixon, de Villiers, Roos, de Klerk, Moyo.
Barbarians Starting XV:
Gellant; Kellaway, Vakatawa, Nankivell, D van der Merwe; Albornoz, Perenara (capt); Vivas, Dee, Rae, Molina, Moon, Petti, Bosher, Fai’ilagi.
Replacements:
Oviedo, Kebble, Delgado, Rodda, McConnell, Arata, Plummer, Samusamuvodre.
