Tonga to play against the 'English Barbarians'?

[Scrumhead]

According to a Tongan poster on TRF, Tonga will be playing the 'English Barbarians' in an end of season tour.

I have never heard of the 'English Barbarians'? Presumably it either means the normal Barbarians or the Saxons? I'd be pleased with the latter - it could be a competitive game for any players we feel could still have an outside chance of making the World Cup squad.

Alternatively, it would be interesting to see how an England Barbarians XV of apparently unwanted internationals and uncapped (and unlikely to be) players would fare against a test team.

Saxons (based on assumed EPS):

1. Rapava-Ruskin / Hepburn
2. Dunn / Buchanan
3. Ford-Robinson / Schonert
4. Isiekwe / Ribbans
5. Symons / Barrow
6. Chisholm / Jones
7. Kvesic / Evans
8. Beaumont / Simmonds
9. Robson / Townsend
10. F. Burns / B. Burns
11. Earle / Humphreys
12. Devoto / Mallinder
13. Slade / James
14. Cokanasiga / Lewington
15. Haley / Malins

[Puja]

Doubly interesting as Tonga are now confirmed as our RWC oppoments. Sadly, I suspect that they've got the wrong end of the stick, as I can't see the clubs allowing an extra A fixture during the season.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

England Barbarians:

1. Waller
2. Youngs
3. Brookes
4. Slater
5. Kitchener
6. Williams
7. Harrison
8. Morgan
9. Simpson
10. Cipriani
11. Wade
12. Eastmond
13. Trinder
14. Ashton
15. Abendanon

Could be fun anyway ...

[Puja]

How about if you were to say that they couldn't have a cap as well as not being involved with the senior team?

Rapava-Ruskin
Dunn
Schonert
Symons
Stooke
Ellis
Neild
Simmonds

Robson
BBurns
Humpreys
Mallinder
Tomkins
Cokanasiga
Hammersley


Puja

[Digby]

We've seen this sort of thing before, was it last season when Fiji were due to play Romania but cancelled that to arrange a fixture vs the BaaBaas (not though the English Barbarians)?

So maybe the interesting question isn't which D team would England send out, but who would Tonga not be playing to make the fixture happen, and if Tonga are prepared to be like that does it undermine their own claims for a fairer test calendar? Possible though Tonga are just looking to wring yet another fixture out of the players, and who knows, maybe the players have even been asked if they'd want that and been assured they'd actually get some money.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

I thought English Barbarians was made up of Championship and National League players down to National 3 Leagues.

[Tigersman]

Toutai Kefu said Tonga's November schedule had been finalised with the 'Ikale Tahi to play the English Barbarians in Limerick, Japan in France and Romania in Bucharest.

So limerick.

My guess is that it will be Championship players mostly.

[Scrumhead]

I thought English Barbarians was made up of Championship and National League players down to National 3 Leagues.

Genuinely never heard of that, but if that's it, that makes sense I guess,

Could have been a good Saxons fixture though.

[Puja]

Here's our answer: http://www.rugbyrebels.co/board/viewtop ... 446#p88356

It's the standard Barbarians, who I guess are English because here is where they were invented.

Puja