Bad boy Sergio Parisse to lead Baa-Baas charge at British & Irish Lions
Barbarians hoping to field a strong line-up for matches against England and the Lions
Italian captain and bad boy Sergio Parisse is set to lead the Barbarians in the historic offshore encounter against the British & Irish Lions at Hong Kong Stadium on June 1.
Bruising No 8 Parisse, who had a 40-day ban halved last month after insulting a referee while playing for Stade Francais in the French Top 14, was among the first batch of players picked by the Barbarians management for games against England and the Lions this summer.
Argentine-born Parisse, who led the Baa-Baas to victory over Wales and England two years ago, will be joined by fellow Azzurri Martin Castrogiovanni (tighthead prop), Samoan scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali'I, France back-rower Imanol Harinordoquy and Springbok centre Jacque Fourie, who helped the Barbarians defeat New Zealand in 2009.
"This year's summer tour is a very important one for our club," said Barbarians team manager Derek Quinnell. "It is a great honour to play the Lions as well as England and we are very conscious of the need to invite the strongest possible squad to do justice to two great fixtures.
As the weeks go by and national squads are selected and domestic cup and league competitions reach their final stages, we are monitoring who will be available to us
"As the weeks go by and national squads are selected and domestic cup and league competitions reach their final stages, we are monitoring who will be available to us. We will then decide on the best balance of our squad in all positions."