Heavyweight Coaching Team Named For Barbarians Men

Stade Toulousain coaches Jerome Kaino, Clement Poitrenaud and Virgile Lacombe have been named among the Barbarians men’s coaching team for the eagerly-anticipated clash against Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday, September 30 (4.30pm).

It will be the first-ever meeting between the Munster Men and the Barbarians and it will form part of a double-header with the Munster women.

The Limerick venue is set for a festival of rugby with the Munster Women kicking the action off against the Barbarians Women at 2pm with the men’s game starting at 4.30pm.

Ticket-holders can enter the ground at any time up to 4.30pm and can exit and re-enter the ground throughout the day. Anyone leaving the stadium will need to be scanned out in order to be able to re-enter.

Buy match tickets here.

Jerome Kaino

An all-time great of the game, Jerome Kaine was a key figure in two Rugby World Cup triumph for the All Blacks, earning 83 caps in total for New Zealand.

He spent most of his club career with the Auckland Blues and finished an illustrious career in France with Toulouse, winning two two Top 14 titles in 2019 and 2021 along with the Champions Cup in 2021.

He moved into coaching after his retirement and has been among the first team coaching staff at Toulouse for the past two seasons, helping the club to another French title last year.

Clement Poitrenaud has been coaching at Toulouse for the past five years.

Clement Poitrenaud

Clement Poitrenaud enjoyed a brilliant 16-year playing career at Toulouse, winning three European Cups and four Top 14 titles.

At international level, he earned 47 France caps and won three 6 Nations titles along with playing at two Rugby World Cups.

He faced Munster twice as a player in European knock-out games – a 13-12 victory for the French side at Stade Toulouse in the 2003 semi-final and Munster’s 47-23 win at Thomond Park in the 2014 quarter-final.

He joined the Toulouse coaching team in 2018 and has since won three French titles and one Champions Cup.

Virgile Lacombe

A hooker in his playing days, Virgile Lacombe won two Top 14 titles and two European Cups over 138 appearances for Toulouse and also lined out for Brive, Racing 92 and Lyon.

He was in the Racing 92 side that were beaten by Munster at Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2017.

He has been a member of the Toulouse coaching team for the past three years, winning two French titles and a Champions Cup.

Virgile Lacombe celebrates winning the Top 14 in his playing days.