THREE Dragons will play both with and against legendary lock Alun Wyn Jones when the Barbarians face Swansea at St Helen’s tomorrow (kick-off 6.30pm).
The fixture is being played to celebrate the Whites’ 150th anniversary and the iconic Wales forward will start for the Baa Baas and then switch sides at the break.
Jones will feature in Barbarians XV alongside Dragons scrum-half Lewis Jones and blindside flanker Dan Lydiate, who is returning to Rodney Parade from the Ospreys next season.
Lock Matthew Screech could well be the man to replace the world’s most-capped player, who has announced his international retirement.
Jones captained the Barbarians against a World XV at Twickenham on Sunday and is yet to confirm whether he will play on in the club game next season.
"There's a lot of life left in me. Whether that's in rugby, I don't know yet,” he said after the game in London.
Jones, who appeared to wave goodbye to the Ospreys supporters after the win against the Dragons in the URC run-in, will take to the field at St Helen’s and is poised to represent Swansea again after playing for the club when a promising prospect.
"You'll probably see him in an All Whites jersey in the second half," Barbarians coach John Mulvihill told BBC Wales. "He might lead the Swansea team out at half-time.
"I was still taken aback that he wanted to play. He said 'it's in my parish and I want to play against my team'."
Brynmawr’s Sam Cross is set to return to action off the bench after being out since rupturing knee ligaments last summer.
Lydiate has been with Wales to start the preparations for the World Cup training camp and will blow away the cobwebs.
The 35-year-old is scrapping for a squad spot for France 2023 with fellow back row specialists Aaron Wainwright, Taine Basham, Taulupe Faletau, Josh Macleod, Jac Morgan and Tommy Reffell.
Barbarians: Damien Hoyland; Tom Howe, Rey Lee-Lo, Billy Twelvetrees; Alex Wootton; Stephen Shingler, Lewis Jones; Oli Kebble, Kirby Myhill, Enrique Pieretto, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Olly Robinson, Sione Vailanu.
Replacements: Elvis Taione, D'Arcy Rae, Murray McCallum, Matthew Screech, Sam Cross, Harri Morgan, Lloyd Williams, Billy Searle.
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