Baa-baas line-up for anniversary clash
Tyrone Howe: One of eight capped players in the Baa-Baas team
The Barbarians have named their team to face Edinburgh Academicals in a special match staged at Raeburn Place on Wednesday April 9, to commemorate the Stockbridge club's 150th anniversary season - the same week when Scotland's oldest intercity rivalry, the 1872 Challenge Cup between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh, resumes at Firhill Arena on Friday April 11.
Among the eight capped players in the squad of 22 are former Scotland and Lions hooker Gordon Bulloch and his fellow 2001 Lion, Tyrone Howe. The Baa-Baas have also invited rising stars from the recent Six Nations Under-20 tournament including England's Rob Miller and Dan Norton and Scotland's Ross Samson.
"As a club we are proud to have been invited by Edinburgh Academicals and we are delighted to be able to accept the honour," said Barbarians club President Mickey Steele-Bodger.
"It is a great achievement to have reached this milestone of 150 years of rugby and congratulations to the Accies on having done so.
"We will be bringing a Barbarians' squad which reflects our own commitment to balancing established players with youngsters who have a great future in front of them."
Edinburgh Accies' captain Dan Teague said was delighted at his team's chance to pit themselves against the famous club.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the players and for the club to play against the Barbarians," he said.
"They are a team all rugby fans and players can associate with; we've grown up watching their matches and admiring the great names that have played for them and the exciting style in which they play."
The Barbarians will be coached by one of Scotland's all-time greats, John Jeffrey, who played for the Baa-Baas on eight occasions and is now a club committee man.
The match, which will be all-ticket, is being played at one of the most evocative and historic grounds of rugby union world-wide, Raeburn Place, where the first ever international, between Scotland and England, was played in 1871.
The Barbarians' squad will train at Raeburn Place on Tuesday April 8.
Barbarians: 15 Stuart Moffat (Viadana & Scotland), 14 Tyrone Howe (Banbridge & Ireland)), 13 Matt Allen (Bedford Blues), 12 Nick Macleod (Cardiff Blues), 11 Craig Morgan (Bristol Rugby & Wales), 10 Rob Miller (Newcastle Falcons), 9 Nick Runciman (Worcester Warriors), 8 Genaro Fessia (Sale Sharks & Argentina), 7 Gavin Quinnell (Worcester Warriors), 6 Tammas McVie (Heriot's), 5 Peter Sidoli (Dragons), 4 Jon Phillips (Bedford Blues), 3 Nigel Hall (Nottingham), 2 Gordon Bulloch (West of Scotland & Scotland), 1 Dorian Williams (London Welsh).
Replacements: 16 Andrea Moretti (Viadana & Italy), 17 Ngalu Tau (Doncaster Knights & Tonga), 18 Craig Hammond (Nottingham), 19 Ledua Jope (Army & Fiji), 20 Ross Samson (Newcastle Falcons), 21 Ross Blake (Cambridge University), 22 Dan Norton (Gloucester Rugby).
Date: Wednesday April 9
Venue: Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
Kick-off: 18:00 BST (17:00 GMT)