Preview: England vs Barbarians
Everything you need to know ahead of England's clash with the Barbarians this Sunday.
England look to make a positive start to their Summer against the Barbarians at Twickenham this Sunday (KO 1500).
Tom Curry will captain the side from blindside flanker with Harry Randall running out as vice-captain at scrum-half. Elsewhere Will Collier makes his third appearance for England in the front-row alongside Harlequins teammate Jack Walker and Bevan Rodd. Jonny May returns out on the wing and Danny Care is named on the bench.
The Barbarians side has a distinctly French feel to it this year, with Head Coach Fabien Galthie selecting 10 French internationals past and present in the starting 15 and all but one of the squad playing their rugby in the Top 14. There will be a familiar face amongst the opposition for England fans though as George Kruis returns to Twickenham to play against the country he won 45 caps for as a lock.
- When? Sunday, 19 June
- Kick-off? 1500 BST
- Where? Twickenham Stadium, London
- Coverage? Watch on Amazon Prime, listen on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, and follow on England Rugby Instagram and Twitter
England host the Barbarians at Twickenham for the first time in three years in what is shaping up to be an intriguing encounter. The Barbarians have a good record against England, having won on eight out of the 18 matches between the sides and they will provide similarly stern opposition once again after naming a particularly strong side.
The emphasis for Jones' men will be on building momentum ahead of their three-match tour of Australia. The series serves as a significant marker and prelude to the final stages of the head coach's World Cup preparations. It will be a great opportunity to galvanize the squad less than 18 months out from the showcase event and an important test of character against a side full of French flair.
Teams
England
15. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
14. Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby)
13. Joe Marchant (Harlequins)
12. Mark Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
9. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
1. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks)
2. Jack Walker (Harlequins)
3. Will Collier (Harlequins)
4. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
5. Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs)
6. Tom Curry (C) (Sale Sharks)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
8. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Finishers
16. Jack Singleton (Gloucester Rugby)
17. Will Goodrick-Clarke (London Irish)
18. Patrick Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs)
19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
20. Jack Willis (Wasps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins)
22. Orlando Bailey (Bath Rugby)
23. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Barbarians
15. Max Spring (France, Racing 92)
14. Damien Penaud (France, Clermont)
13. Virimi Vakatawa (France, Racing 92)
12. Tani Vili (France, Clermont)
11. Davit Niniashvili (Georgia, Lyon)
10. Antoine Hastoy (France, Pau)
9. Batiste Couilloud (France, Lyon)
1. Jean-Baptiste Gros (France, Toulon)
2. Pierre Bourgarit (France, La Rochelle)
3. Trevor Nyakane (South Africa, Racing 92)
4. George Kruis (England, Saitama Wild Knights)
5. Will Skelton (Australia, La Rochelle)
6. Dylan Cretin (France, Lyon)
7. Levani Botia (Fiji, La Rochelle)
8. Charles Ollivon (France, Toulon, Captain)
Replacements
16. Danny Priso (France, La Rochelle)
17. Christopher Tolofua (France, Toulon)
18. Sipili Falatea (France, Clermont)
19. Thomas Lavault (La Rochelle)
20. Yoan Tanga (France, Racing 92)
21. Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92)
22. Louis Carbonel (France, Toulon)
23. Sekou Macalou (France, Stade Français)
24. Thomas Laclayat (Oyonnax)
Views from camp
England Forwards Coach Richard Cockerill: “It’s going to be a real test. They’ve picked a really good squad, so they’re going to come at us and play. We’re going to be tested and that’s what we want. We’re going to see some really young players get their first opportunity and it’s going to be a really good learning experience for us all.
“We want them to get into the game, not dip their toe in and see how cold the pool is. We want them to go embrace it and enjoy themselves. They’ve been on great form for their clubs and we want them to go out there and express themselves and not be worried about making mistakes but go and show how good they are and that’s what good young players coming through need to do.”
“We know that this is going to be an important game on Sunday but the three test tour to Australia is going to be huge. The immediate focus is what happens on Sunday but then three tests back-to-back in Australia is going to be really tough and that’s our focus. I don’t think anybody is thinking about resting themselves because a World Cup is coming; there’s a lot of competition and there’s still a lot of rugby to be played and a lot can happen in 18 months."
Lewis Ludlam: "In the premiership especially this season there has been such good talent coming through across the board. All the teams have produced some world class talent so everyone is capable of coming in and starting for England and making a really big contribution. To come in and see how the boys have applied themselves over the past two days is really exciting for England. It feels like the squad is moving forward and we're in a really good place."
"We'll relish the occasion, we know it's a historic fixture and a historic team but we're not getting caught under any illusions that this is a scrappy side that's been put together. They have some world class players so it's going to be a really tough challenge but this group are really looking forward to the possibility of getting out in front of our fans at Twickenham and putting on a show. We're treating this as another test match and lads are fighting for places so it's another chance to put your hand up in a competitive environment against a fantastic team."
Previous encounters
- 2 June 2019: England 51-43 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 27 May 2018: England 45-63 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 28 May 2017: England 28-14 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 31 May 2015: England 73-12 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 1 June 2014: England 29-39 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 26 May 2013: England 40-12 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 27 May 2012: England 57-26 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 29 May 2011: England 32-38 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 30 May 2010: England 35-26 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
- 30 May 2009: England 26-33 Barbarians - Twickenham Stadium, London
Key stats
- England have won 10 of their 18 previous men’s matches against the Barbarians, including three of their last four, with England averaging 49 points per game in their last four encounters.
- The Barbarians have won just two of their last nine men’s matches at Twickenham, both victories coming in 2018, beating England 63-45 in May before recording a 38-35 win against Argentina in December; that 63-45 victory against England was the highest scoring match in Barbarians history.
- England conceded fewer turnovers than any other side during this year’s Six Nations (42); additionally, they also crossed the gainline with a greater percentage of their carries than any other side in this year’s championship (60%).
- The Barbarians have won just one of their last four men’s matches (L3) after previously winning three in a row, including two victories at Twickenham, one of which was also against England (63-45 in May 2018).
- England’s Danny Care has provided a league-high 17 try assists in each of his last two Premiership campaigns; only once before has a player recorded more in a single season (Willie le Roux, 21 in 2017/18) since Opta have recorded this data (2008/09).
- The Barbarians have scored at least 30 points in each of their last six men’s matches after failing to hit that mark in four straight games previously; however, they have also conceded over 20 points in each of their last 10 matches.
