De Klerk captains star-studded Barbarians against Wales with two Springbok World Cup winners in starting XV

Faf de Klerk will captain the Barbarians against Wales at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on Saturday, one week after scoring off the bench as South Africa beat the same invitational side 80-31 in Gqeberha.

The two-time Rugby World Cup winner is not the only decorated Springbok in the starting XV. Veteran tighthead Vincent Koch — also a double World Cup champion — lines up in the front row alongside Georgia’s Giorgi Kharaishvili and Wales hooker Elliot Dee, who will face his own countrymen.

Head coach Scott Robertson has assembled a physically imposing pack, with Wallabies pair Izack Rodda and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto joined by France lock Romain Taofifénua and former England number eight Nathan Hughes. In the backs, De Klerk partners ex-All Blacks fly-half Harry Plummer, while Virimi Vakatawa, Andrew Kellaway and Tom Spring form the back three.

The squad features 19 internationals drawn from 11 different nations, and Robertson said De Klerk was the natural choice to drive standards through the week while still embracing the Barbarians’ free-spirited ethos.

“It’s great to have a player of Faf’s quality and experience leading the group this week,” Robertson said. “Faf is such a fierce competitor, he knows how to run a week, so he is driving the boys but he also fully embraces the Barbarian spirit and hits the right balance.”

Robertson added that the selection was built to both challenge Wales physically and play an expansive game. “We have picked a team to really challenge Wales. It’s a big team, with a bit of a Top 14 core, but we also want to move the ball, play what’s on and entertain what is hopefully a big crowd.”

Among the replacements, Wales legend George North is set to make what is expected to be the final appearance of his professional career, adding an emotional subplot to an already headline-laden fixture.

Barbarians XV: 15 Tom Spring, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Harry Plummer, 9 Faf de Klerk (captain), 1 Giorgi Kharaishvili, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Vincent Koch, 4 Izack Rodda, 5 Romain Taofifénua, 6 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 7 Lachlan Boshier, 8 Nathan Hughes.

Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Jack Iscaro, 18 Paul Alo-Emile, 19 Yoan Tanga, 20 Jordan Joseph, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 George North, 23 Liam McConnell.