Ireland
Shane Jennings skippers Barbarians against Ireland
ESPN Staff
May 26, 2015
Shane Jennings
Shane Jennings© (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Shane Jennings has been named Barbarians captain for their match against Ireland on Thursday.

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.

Barbarians: Zane Kirchner, Alex Cuthbert, Joe Rokocoko, Wynand Olivier, David Smith, James Gopperth, Ruan Pienaar; Roberto Tejerizo, Deon Fourie, Adam Jones, Rodrigo Capo Ortega, Konstantin Mikautadze, Shane Jennings, Gerhard Vosloo, Ryu Koliniasi Holani

Replacements: David Ward, Saimone Taumoepeau, Matias Diaz, George Whitelock, George Smith, Tomas Cubelli, Tusi Pisi, Gio Aplon

© ESPN Staff

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