Burke faces fiery dragons

Wallaby veteran Matt Burke has been named as captain for the Barbarians' second match of the Staffware Challenge tour against Wales at the Ashton Gate stadium in Bristol on Wednesday.

Burke will lead out an all-new starting XV against the Welsh - and not in his favoured position of fullback - but at fly-half.

The side boasts 446 Test caps in the run-on team alone, but amazingly Burke and his team-mates look a bit wet behind the ears to the side that ran out 40-33 winners over Scotland on Saturday.

Former All Black, Taine Randell, led out a team with 612 caps between them.

But, while the match is sure to be played good naturedly (and there should be enough tries to make up more than one highlight reel), there are still a number of players with Test aspirations in mind - Burke included.

Burke, who suffered a fall-from-grace, has an outside chance of a Wallaby recall after a knee injury to ACT Brumbies centre Stirling Mortlock.

Although starting in the No.10 jersey against Wales will not help his prospects much.

Springbok discards prop Richard Bands, winger Breyton Paulse and scrum-half Neil de Kock are other such players who will feel they can only improve their claims for higher honours this season.

The rest of the line-up will make for ominous reading for the Welsh, who are sure to name an untested team following an unenviable injury run that has left them without some of their big names - fly-half Stephen Jones and hooker Robin McBryde to name just two.

The likes of former All Black Bruce Reihana and Wallaby hard man Nathan Grey, who alongside France centre Damien Traille makes a formidable midfield combination, will be keen to run the ball at every opportunity.

In the forwards, Ireland No.8 Eric Miller, veteren France flanker Olivier Magne and former Bok skipper André Vos make up a loose trio that any international team would be happy to field.

Barbarians: 15 Bruce Reihana (Northampton and New Zealand), 14 Paul Sackey (London Irish), 13 Damien Traille (Pau and France), 12 Nathan Grey (Waratahs and Australia), 11 Breyton Paulse (Stormers and South Africa), 10 Matt Burke (Waratahs and Australia, capt), 9 Neil de Kock (Stormers and South Africa), 8 Eric Miller (Leinster and Ireland), 7 André Vos (Harlequins and South Africa), 6 Olivier Magne (Montferrand and France), 5 Mark Connors (Northampton and Australia), 4 Brad Mika (Auckland Blues and New Zealand), 3 Richard Bands (Bulls and South Africa), 2 Matt Sexton (Ulster), 1 Ollie Le Roux (Sharks and South Africa).
Replacements: 16 Anton Oliver (Otago and New Zealand), 17 Cobus Visagie (Saracens and South Africa), 18 Owen Finegan (ACT Brumbies and Australia), 19 Aaron Persico (Agen and Italy), 20 Mark Robinson (Northampton and New Zealand), 21 David Humphreys (Ulster and Ireland), 22 Thomas Castaignede (Saracens and France).