Barbarians name team for Harlequins with Brown chosen as captain

Ex-England full-back Mike Brown has been named Barbarians captain for Thursday night’s tour game at Harlequins, the London club where he spent the majority of his career. The 37-year-old hasn’t played a rugby match since last March after he was told he would be released by Newcastle at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Brown has maintained his training regime since in the hope that a full-time contract might still materialise to prolong his stellar career, something he recently spoke with RugbyPass about.

In the meantime, he has taken up an offer from the Baa-Baas to be involved in their two games this week, starting on Thursday at The Stoop before the show transfers to The Rec for Sunday’s match versus Bath.

Scott Roberston, who co-coached the Barbarians with Ronan O’Gara to their win last Sunday over an All Blacks XV at Tottenham, has remained on to coach the team this week helped by John Mulvihill and Scott Hansen.

However, just one of last week’s squad, John Ryan, is still with Robertson and the Munster prop will start at tighthead in a team that includes three players from the ABs XV after their tour ended against the Baa-Baas.

Damian McKenzie, Levi Aumua and AJ Lam are named in the XV that also includes ex-England midfielder Luthur Burrell before his move to the Japanese Top League. Numerous free agents from Worcester and Wasps are also named in the 26-strong matchday squad, as is Marland Yarde who has been without a club since parting ways in the off-season with Sale.

Harlequins have also named their team for the fixture and they have included Joe Marchant to start and Joe Marler on the bench after the pair featured for the Barbarians in the win over the All Blacks XV.

HARLEQUINS: 15. Ross Chisholm; 14. Oscar Beard, 13. Joe Marchant, 12. Lennox Anyanwu, 11. Josh Bassett; 10. Will Edwards, 9. Danny Care; 1. Fin Baxter, 2. George Head, 3. Wilco Louw, 4. George Hammond, 5. Irne Herbst, 6. Jack Kenningham, 7. Will Evans 8. Alex Dombrandt (capt). Reps: 16. Jack Walker, 17. Joe Marler, 18. Simon Kerrod, 19. Dino Lamb, 20. Archie White, 21. Jack Stafford, 22. Hayden Hyde, 23. Cassius Cleaves.

BARBARIANS: 15. Mike Brown (capt); 14. AJ Lam, 13. Levi Aumua, 12. Luther Burrell, 11. Igancio Mendy; 10. Damian McKenzie, 9. Francois Hougaard; 1. Murray McCallum, 2. Stuart McInally. 3. John Ryan, 4. Scott Scrafton, 5. Kiran McDonald, 6. Elliot Stooke, 7. Olly Robinson, 8. Abraham Papali’i. Reps: 16. Gabriel Oghre, 17. Hayden Thompson-Stringer, 18. Kieran Brookes, 19. Graham Kitchener, 20. Iacopo Bianchi, 21. Gareth Simpson, 22, Rhyno Smith, 23. Tom Daly, 24. Cathal Forde, 25. Jacopo Trulla. 26. Marland Yarde.