Roff to lead Barbarians in Army Centenary Match
Staff
April 2, 2007

Wallaby World Cup winner Joe Roff will lead the Barbarians in the Army Centenary Match at the Twickenham Stoop on 4 April (kick-off 7.45pm).

Roff, who earlier this season added an Oxford Blue to his 86 test caps for Australia, is joined in the side by another star of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Argentina's Gonzalo Quesada.

The Puma, who now plays for Toulon in France, was the top scorer with 102 points in the 1999 tournament and went on to score 486 points in 38 tests.

Partnering Quesada at half-back will be the former captain of England Saxons, Clive Stuart-Smith. The Llanelli Scarlets' scrum-half has family connections with the Barbarians stretching back through several generations. His great-grandfather Stephen Farmer played for the Baa-Baas and scored the winning try against Leicester in February 1914, while his grandfather Stuart Smith played 99 games for the Tigers.

Also adding test experience to the back division is Ireland's Kevin Maggs while Ulster colleague Justin Fitzpatrick packs down in the front row with Scotland's Steve Scott and Wales under-21 cap Dai Maddocks who made a big impression in the Mobbs Match last month.

Also returning after their appearances against the East Midlands are Coventry's open-side flanker Tom Johnson and Nottingham captain Craig Hammond. The Barbarians have invited four players from host club NEC Harlequins, including Oxford Blue, Luke Sherriff.

Club secretary Geoffrey Windsor-Lewis said, "We have invited players from seven countries for this historic match and have a healthy balance of established test players and up and coming stars. Joe Roff will be making his third appearance for us in the last twelve months and he is the ideal man to lead a side like this. The side will be coached by Zinzan Brooke and everything suggests that it should be a great occasion."

Wednesday's match celebrates one hundred years of rugby union for the Army, whose connections with the Barbarians go back to World War One. In 1914 and 1915 the Club aided recruitment and war charities by playing matches against the RAMC and also Shoreham Camp. More recently, Army players have figured prominently in the annual matches against Combined Services.

Tickets for the match (adults PS10.00, juniors PS5.00) can be obtained from the Harlequins Ticket Office, tel 020 8410 6000.

Team: Neil Hallett (Esher); Joe Roff, captain (Oxford University & Australia), Kevin Maggs (Ulster Rugby & Ireland), *Matt Cornwell (Leicester Tigers), *Adam Thompstone (NEC Harlequins); *Gonzalo Quesada (Toulon & Argentina), *Clive Stuart-Smith (Llanelli Scarlets); Justin Fitzpatrick (Ulster Rugby & Ireland), *Steve Scott (Border Reivers & Scotland), David Maddocks (Newport Gwent Dragons), *George Robson (NEC Harlequins), *Ollie Hodge (Exeter Chiefs), Craig Hammond (Nottingham), Tom Johnson (Coventry), Luke Sherriff (NEC Harlequins)

Replacements: Andy Dalgleish (Newbury), Wayne Reed (Launceston), *Paul Clark (RAF), *Mark Waugh (Banbridge), Kevin Brennan (Oxford University & Nottingham), Albert Finney (Banbridge), *Seb Jewell (NEC Harlequins)

Coach: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)

(* - denotes new Barbarian)

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