Leinster’s Shane Jennings leads Barbarians against Ireland

Wed, 27 May, 2015 - 17:27

Shane Jennings will captain the Barbarians against Ireland at Thomond Park.

The Leinster and Ireland flanker retires from the professional game this summer after a distinguished career in which he has won 13 caps for Ireland, Pro-12 and European Cup titles for Leinster and an Aviva Premiership title with Leicester Tigers.

He captains a starting side containing nine different nationalities with 466 international appearances between them for the game in Limerick on May 28.

It includes his Leinster teammates Zane Kirchner and Jimmy Gopperth with Ulster scrum half Ruan Pienaar also starting for the famous invitation club celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

Jennings said: “It’s an honour to lead out such an illustrious team. It’s a great highlight in my career and we’ll be determined to do the Barbarians' jersey justice against Ireland."

Head coach Robbie Deans has assembled a side with a sharp cutting edge containing the likes of Toulon’s leading try scorer David Smith, New Zealand’s Joe Rokocoko and British & Irish Lions wing Alex Cuthbert in the back line.

Lions tight head Adam Jones anchors a scrum containing a powerful second row combination in Uruguay’s Rodrigo Capo Ortega and Georgia’s Konstantin Mikautadze. Japan’s Ryu Koliniasi Holani is a dynamic No.8 from Deans’s club side Panasonic Wild Knights.

Tickets for the Ireland v Barbarians match are priced from €30 and family (one adult and one junior) terrace packs from €25 at Ticketmaster.ie or 0818 719 300.

15 Zane Kirchner (Leinster & South Africa) 29

14 Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues & Wales) 32

13 Joe Rokocoko (Bayonne & New Zealand) 68

12 Wynand Olivier (Montpellier & South Africa) 38

11 David Smith (Toulon)

10 James Gopperth (Leinster)

9 Ruan Pienaar (Ulster & South Africa) 80

1 Roberto Tejerizo (Tucuman & Argentina) 4

2 Deon Fourie (Lyon)

3 Adam Jones (Cardiff Blues & Wales) 95

4 Rodrigo Capo Ortega (Castres & Uruguay) 38

5 Konstantin Mikautadze (Toulon & Georgia) 31