Bakkies leads Baa-Baas into battle

Bakkies Botha will captain a Barbarians team that includes six South Africans against Samoa at London's Olympic Stadium on Saturday.

Wynand Olivier and Pierre Spies are also in the starting XV, with Maks van Dyk, Jacques Potgieter and Nic Groom on the bench.

The match is part of a testing programme run by the 2015 World Cup organising committee, and will allow them to trial aspects of match-day delivery ahead of the venue hosting five World Cup fixtures.

Samoa will be in Pool B along with the Springboks.

Barbarians – 15 Paul Williams (Stade Français & Samoa), 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro (Glasgow Warriors), 13 Ben Tapuai (Force & Australia), 12 Wynand Olivier (Montpellier & South Africa), 11 Dwayne Sweeney (Munakata Sanix Blues), 10 Christian Leali’ifano (Brumbies & Australia), 9 Luke Burgess (Zebre & Australia), 8 Pierre Spies (Kintetsu Liners & South Africa), 7 Liam Gill (Reds & Australia), 6 Adam Thomson (Reds & New Zealand), 5 Luke Jones (Rebels), 4 Bakkies Botha (South Africa, c), 3 Carl Hayman (New Zealand), 2 Saia Fainga’a (Reds & Australia), 1 Benn Robinson (Waratahs & Australia).
Subs: 16 Tolu Latu (Waratahs), 17 Joshua Hohneck (Highlanders), 18 Maks van Dyk (Cheetahs), 19 Ali Williams (New Zealand), 20 Jacques Potgieter (Munakata Sanix Blues & South Africa), 21 Nic Groom (Stormers), 22 Mike Harris (Rebels & Australia), 23 Tom English (Rebels).

Photo: Steve Bardens/Getty Images

Post by