The invitational side announced their full squad today as they prepare for their first clash against England at Twickenham this weekend.
New Zealand-born rugby league powerhouse Willie Mason has only just agreed a deal to switch codes and join Toulon but has been called straight into the Barbarians squad.
Cardiff Blues skipper Paul Tito joins club-mate Martyn Williams in the squad and Scarlets prop Iestyn Thomas completes the trio of Welsh based players.
They are joined by Edinburgh’s Visser as well as Samoan international Iosefa Tekori, Georgia’s Davit Kubriashvili and Norway’s Erik Lund.
All Black wing Howlett and Clermont-Auvergne’s Australian fly-half Brock James will join the squad in Cardiff for the second leg of the tour.
Among the Barbarians debutants are Italy captain Sergio Parisse and his deputy Leonardo Ghiraldini plus France’s mercurial fly-half Frederic Michalak.
Ospreys’ director of rugby and former Wales’ coach Scott Johnson will assist David Young with the coaching and preparation of the side.
Barbarians squad:
Backs – Benoit Baby (Clermont Auvergne), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Doug Howlett (Munster), Brock James (Clermont Auvergne), Nicolas Jeanjean (Brive), Willie Mason (Toulon), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster), Seru Rabini (La Rochelle), Paul Sackey (Toulon), Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres Olympique), Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby)
Forwards – Sebastien Bruno (Toulon), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Carl Hayman (Toulon), Davit Kubriashvili (Toulon), Erik Lund (Biarritz), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais), Salvatore Perugini (Aironi), George Smith (Toulon), Iosefa Tekori (Castres Olympique), Iestyn Thomas (Scarlets), Paul Tito (Cardiff Blues), Joe van Niekerk (Toulon), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues)
Coaches: David Young, Scott Johnson
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