England 21-52 Barbarians: Invitational side batter Eddie Jones' team despite Will Skelton red card
Baa-Baas, under France head coach Fabien Galthie, score eight tries at Twickenham despite La Rochelle and Australia second row Will Skelton's 37th minute red card; Charles Ollivon, Damian Penaud (two), Batiste Couilloud, Louis Carbonel, Max Spring, Antoine Hastoy and a penalty try
By Michael Cantillon at Twickenham
Last Updated: 20/06/22 6:09am
A French-inspired Barbarians side shrugged off the loss of La Rochelle lock Will Skelton to a first-half red card to batter England 52-21 at Twickenham.
In all, the Baa-Baas scored eight tries through skipper and back-row Charles Ollivon, Clermont and France wing Damian Penaud (two), Lyon scrum-half Batiste Couilloud, Toulon out-half Louis Carbonel, Racing 92 full-back Max Spring, Pau out-half Antoine Hastoy and a penalty try.
Skelton was dismissed after connecting with the head of uncapped Exeter prop Patrick Schickerling with a leading shoulder, becoming the first Barbarians player in history to receive a red card, but the visitors produced some stunning rugby thereafter to entertain a healthy Twickenham crowd.
Retiring former England and Saracens second row George Kruis also landed a hat-trick of conversions for the Baa-Baas in a party atmosphere for the visitors, one of which came via a comical backheel off the tee.
England 21-52 Barbarians - Score summary
England - Tries: Cokanasiga (36), May (51), Smith (60). Cons: None. Pens: Smith (16, 34).
Barbarians - Tries: Penalty Try (19), Ollivon (23), Penaud (38, 54), Couilloud (46), Carbonel (67), Spring (75), Hastoy (78). Cons: Hastoy (24, 68), Kruis (47, 76, 79).
England scored tries through wings Joe Cokanasiga and Jonny May, as well as playmaker Marcus Smith, but the latter missed all three conversions, landing two penalties from three attempts.
The fact an England side - experimental in part but still containing several experienced members - could be so outplayed by a disjointed and exhausted, albeit talented Barbarians side, should concern head coach Eddie Jones greatly ahead of their tour of Australia, live on Sky Sports.
An opening quarter epitomised by frequent mistakes in attack, particularly by England, did not see a point scored until the 16th minute as Hastoy missed with his first effort off the tee, before Smith struck over from close range after an offside call.
Team News
England's Eddie Jones named two uncapped players in his starting XV in full-back Tommy Freeman and hooker Jack Walker. Centre Mark Atkinson made his first Test start, Joe Cokanasiga returned after more than a year out. Jonny May and Jonny Hill returned following serious injury. Tom Curry captained the side, while Callum Chick replaced Alex Dombrandt at No 8 in a late change.
The Barbarians, led by France head coach Fabien Galthie, named 10 French players in their starting XV, plus a further four who play domestic rugby in France. England's George Kruis started at lock in his final game before retirement. Back-row Charles Ollivon made his return from a serious knee injury, having missed France's 2022 Grand Slam.
Within a couple of minutes, the Barbarians looked to be in for their opening try as Racing 92 and France centre Virimi Vakatawa acrobatically dived for the corner. TMO Ben Whitehouse decreed that Vakatawa had knocked on while gathering the ball before attempting to score, harshly denying the try.
During the same stoppage, however, the TMO requested a review for a piece of play earlier in the move on the opposite wing, where England's May was found to have intentionally knocked on as the last defender, sent to the sin-bin as a result, and a penalty try awarded.
As England looked to shake off their rust and respond in attack, instead it was the Barbarians who would strike for a second try - Ollivon, who missed France's 2022 Grand Slam due to a serious knee injury, brilliantly intercepting a Harry Randall pass at pace before sprinting nearly the length of the pitch to score.
The 6'7" back-row forward had looked for support to pass to the whole way through his run, with Randall in chase, but in the end chose to hold on, ride the challenge of the diminutive scrum-half, and dive over.
Hastoy converted for 14-3, before Jones made the decision to sub off tighthead prop Will Collier just 29 minutes in for the uncapped Schickerling.
England had chosen to point to the sticks instead of attacking whenever afforded penalties in the Baa-Baas half, with Smith missing from distance with a poor strike, before then landing his third effort after a tackle off the ball from centre Levani Botia.
On 36 minutes, England finally got in for a try as powerful wing Cokanasiga held off the challenge of Vakatawa to stretch out and score after a lovely passage featuring a Smith step and offload - the award of the try coming just prior to what likely seemed the most significant moment of the contest.
TMO Whitehouse was in the frame again, as he called for a review of Skelton's tackle, and though slightly unexpected due to the nature of the fixture, it was hard to argue against the red card given by referee Andrea Piardi, as the big Australian lock connected with the face of Schickerling with a leading shoulder, some time after the England prop had knocked on.
It was the Baa-Baas who would change the scoreboard next, however, as Penaud ran in for their third courtesy of another intercept - though the wing showed a splendid piece of handling to take the ball in and score for a 19-11 half-time lead.
The Barbarians would strike first in the second half too when a defensive lapse allowed No 8 Yoan Tanga to surge through the middle and Couilloud to snipe from close-range under the posts to complete the move.
England looked to spring into life, with Danny Care's arrival making a difference in tempo as Smith began to try and create in attack and May sped in for a try, but Penaud added a second with a fabulous piece of finishing in the corner past Tommy Freeman.
Impactful carries by flanker Tom Curry and May created space for Smith to dash over for England's third try with the Barbarians down to 13 as Sekou Macalou lay receiving treatment, but despite showing flashes, England could not get closer as a tiring Baa-Baas hung on before getting a second wind.
Replacement scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec exquisitely chipped over the defence for Carbonel to touch down and all but wrap up the result, but there was better to come when a rampaging Macoulu - playing as a makeshift winger - offloaded to Le Garrec, and the latter kicked across and ahead for Spring to score after a sweeping move that began in the Barbarians' own 22.
Hastoy then completed the rout, running in after a Davit Niniashvili break, forward roll and pass for a scarcely believable eighth try.
What's next?
For England, they next travel to Australia for a three-Test series vs the Wallabies next month, all live and exclusive on Sky Sports Action.
The first Test takes place in Perth on Saturday, July 2 (10.55am GMT kick off), the second Test is in Brisbane on Saturday, July 9 (10.55am GMT) and the third and final Test is in Sydney on Saturday, July 16 (10.55am GMT).
Jones and co will be looking for a reaction to Sunday's big loss, and will aim for a repeat of their successful 2016 three-Test tour to Australia, in which England whitewashed the Wallabies 3-0 under their current coach.
