A host of star names from Saracens will be joining the Barbarians camp on Monday as the famous club begins preparations for the Quilter Cup.
From internationals who have represented their country throughout the age groups, to exciting rising stars and a British & Irish Lion, the players announced on Friday add strength and depth to the squad taking shape ahead of next week’s camp.
A further eight Sarries will now join up with the Baa-baas with Sean Maitland, Alex Lewington, Tim Swinson, Joel Kpoku, Calum Clark, Dom Morris, Juan Pablo Socino, Tom Woolstencroft joining the squad.
They will join team-mates Richard Wigglesworth, Jackson Wray and Manu Vunipola alongside former Harlequins and England captain Chris Robshaw.
Barbarian president John Spencer said: “We are absolutely delighted for these fine players to join us ahead of the Quilter Cup.
"It is a very exciting group of players, with experience across the board and we’re looking forward to welcoming them into the Barbarians family.
"There will be familiar faces all round, as well as new friendships forged as always happens when the Barbarians come together.”
Returning Barbarians. head coach Vern Cotter said: “The addition of these eight players into the squad bring an exciting mix of versatility, experience and youth.
"We are collecting a very strong mix of players and are looking forward to getting together in camp next week and creating a Barbarians team that will deliver the brand of rugby with flair, passion and excitement for which we’re known across the world.”
JOIN THE RUCK:
5 people who should avoid reading Joe Marler’s new autobiography
1. Joe Launchbury
The England ptop, in his section on teammates nicknames, reveals an uncomplimentary one given to the Wasps captain during England duty.
Due to him forever knocking everything over with his backside, the biggest in world rugby, Marler joked 'your ass is like a permanent slosh bucket.'
Long story short, he hated it but is still known as 'Slosh' or 'Slosh bucket' to this day in England training/
2. Gavin Henson
Despite this being another rather funny story from Marler, it also shows the ego of Henson in 2005 was off the scale. Being told to hurry up with his hair by his captain Gareth Thomas, the playmaker showed his skipper little respect.
Henson's reply to Thomas was: "Alf, your mother and father have come to watch you play today, but there are 72,000 out there who have come to watch me."
3. Olly Kohn
One of the hands down best stories from the book comes from a wet and windy away game in Biarritz where Marler thought he might 'freeze to death in a cloud of garlic breath and BO.'
A desperate idea saw the prop piss himself, and after being sussed out by teammate Kohn, the lock joined him, 'piising their pants in unison in an effort to survive.'
The two then promised to never speak about the incident, which Marler apologies for breaking in his book by simply saying 'sorry mate'.
4. Jonny May
This isn't necessarily a negative story about the speedster, but having the fact you take part in WWE like wrestling in your underpants published to the masses probably isn't ideal.
Marler tells a wonderful story of how their epic one-on-one match from behind closed doors was discovered by 2003 World Cup winner and then England coach Mike Catt in 2013.
This resulted in the pair having to wrestle in front of their teammates with May coming out on top after Marler was forced to start on his knees due to his weight advantage.
Marler went onto say: "It was always Jonny who usually tapped out. He was incredibly fit and strong and his wrestling skills were awesome, but being the much chunkier bloke I beat im every time."
Later on, Marler tells the story of May scoring a try for England U20 with his ass off in incredible detail, saying at one point: "I mean, it wasn't just a bit of bum crack or half a cheek poking out. This was full moon."
5. Dwayne Peel
The loosehead prop tells a wonderful story of how the legendary Wales scrum-half, who won 76 caps between 2001 and 2011, got a taste of his own medicine when his pranks became too much for some of his teammates.
"He'd tested his teammates' patience by putting bikes and beans in their (Wales squads) beds." wrote Marler.
"The lads decided to retaliate, with one of them borrowing a sheep from a local farmer and leaving it in Peel's hotel room.
"The flea-ridden sheep had pooed on the carpet before Peel discovered it, and legend has i he was itching for days afterwards."
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