PAT LAM HAS named Munster centre Antoine Frisch as his starting out-half for the Barbarians ahead of this Friday’s clash with World Cup-bound Samoa in Brive.
Frisch, who played under Lam at Bristol prior to his joining Munster last year, is one of four ex-Bears named in Lam’s starting XV alongside Toby Fricker, Mitch Eadie, and the coach’s cousin Jack Lam.
Frisch’s output in the 10 shirt will surely be monitored with intrigue by Munster coaching staff: the southern province down an out-half in the shape of Edinburgh-bound Ben Healy and having offset the departure of Malakai Fekitoa with two new midfield recruitments, Alex Nankivell from Super Rugby’s Chiefs and Seán O’Brien from their English Premiership namesake.
Here’s our lineup to play @manusamoa 💪
— Barbarian FC (@Barbarian_FC) August 16, 2023
1. A Seuili
2. J Dweba
3. J Toomoga-Allen
4. J-L du Preez
5. R Hugo
6. D Richardson
7. J Lam
8. M Eadie
9. H Jantjies
10. A Frisch
11. H Speight
12. C Rona
13. V Vakatawa
14. T Fricker
15. T Nanai-Williams#Baabaas #rugby
Here’s our lineup to play @manusamoa 💪
— Barbarian FC (@Barbarian_FC) August 16, 2023
1. A Seuili
2. J Dweba
3. J Toomoga-Allen
4. J-L du Preez
5. R Hugo
6. D Richardson
7. J Lam
8. M Eadie
9. H Jantjies
10. A Frisch
11. H Speight
12. C Rona
13. V Vakatawa
14. T Fricker
15. T Nanai-Williams#Baabaas #rugby
Following Friday’s meeting with Lam’s native country, the Baa Baas will next head to Ashton Gate on Thursday, 7 September, to take on Lam’s Bristol in a pre-season game ahead of the new Premiership campaign.
After a subsequent trip to Wales to face Scarlets on Saturday 16 September, it will be onto Ireland where Munster will host the tourists for an eagerly anticipated Munster-v-Baa Baas men’s-and-women’s doubleheader at Thomond Park on Saturday 30 September.
Munster have this afternoon confirmed that Toulouse trio Jerome Kaino, Clement Poitrenaud and Virgile Lacombe will lead the coaching ticket for what will be the Barbarians’ first ever meeting with Munster.
Kaino, a two-time World Cup winner with New Zealand as a player, rounded off his extraordinary on-field career with a pair of French Top 14 titles and a Champions Cup at Toulouse. He has since become part of their first-team coaching staff, helping Toulouse to their 22nd domestic championship last season.
Former France international Poitrenaud won three European Cups and four Top 14s during his 16-year playing career with Toulouse and has since added a further Champions Cup and three more league titles since joining the coaching staff in 2018.
Lacombe won two Top 14 titles and two European Cups with Toulouse during his playing days and has bolstered his CV with two more at home and one more in Europe during his three years as a coach.
