Ex-All Black flavour for the Baabaas

Former All Black captain Taine Randell will lead a Barbarians XV studded with New Zealand players against Scotland in Edinburgh on Sunday.

Five New Zealanders are in the starting line-up for the match and three in the reserves, including Blues lock Brad Mika.

Of the eight New Zealanders, all but reserve hooker Matt Sexton are former All Blacks. They form the nucleus of a Barbarians side who can boast enormous international experience.

Record All Black tryscorer Christian Cullen, who plays for Irish club Munster, is at fullback and the starting halfback is Mark Robinson, who signed this year for Northampton after several seasons with North Harbour and the Blues.

In the front row are prop Greg Feek and hooker Anton Oliver, who is rated third by the All Black selectors, so was given leave to miss the trials and represent the Barbarians.

Randell is joined in the loose forwards by former Springbok Bobby Skinstad and Italian openside Aaron Persico, who grew up in Wellington.

Alongside Mika in the reserves are Sexton, a long-serving Canterbury rake, and former Waikato winger Bruce Reihana, now playing for Northampton.

Randell will continue captaining the team in the Barbarians' remaining matches, against Wales and England next week.

The team:

Christian Cullen (NZ); Shane Horgan (Ireland); Thomas Castaignede (France); Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland); Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji); David Humphries (Ireland); Mark Robinson (NZ); Bobby Skinstad (South Africa); Aaron Persico (Italy); Taine Randell (NZ, capt); Malcolm O'Kelly (Ireland); Mark Andrews (South Africa); Cobus Visagie (South Africa); Anton Oliver (NZ); Greg Feek (NZ).

Reserves: Matt Sexton (NZ), Ollie Le Roux (South Africa), Brad Mika (NZ), Eric Miller (Ireland), Neil De Kock (South Africa), Matthew Burke (Australia), Bruce Reihana (NZ).

- NZPA