Centre pair Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies continue their winning Test partnership in midfield alongside Six Nations try hero Alex Cuthbert.
Three Ospreys forwards will start at Hong Kong Stadium including front-row pair Adam Jones and Richard Hibbard as well as flanker Justin Tipuric who gets the nod after tour captain Sam Warburton was ruled out with a knee injury.
Tipuric lines up between Newport Gwent Dragons pair Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau in an all-Wales back-row in front of scrum-half Mike Phillips.
The veteran Test number nine will provide crucial experience for half-back partner Owen Farrell who is joined by Saracens team-mate Mako Vunipola.
Scotland’s trio of tourists, Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland and Richie Gray all start while 2009 captain Paul O’Connell will lead the team in Warburton’s absence.
“I am really excited by the first selection of the tour,” said head coach Warren Gatland.
“Naturally it comprises largely those players not involved in last weekend’s Aviva Premiership and RaboDirect PRO12 finals and we have a lot of players making their debuts for the Lions.
“At the same time we have a hard core of experience with the six former Lions sharing 430 caps between them and 19 Lions Tests.
“There are also some proven combinations such as the Welsh centre pairing and back-row. Some of the boys who played last weekend are on the bench as cover and generally everyone in the camp is raring to go.”
Among those previous Lions is Alun Wyn Jones as well as fellow two-time Six Nations winner George North who have been named among the replacements in the 23-man match squad.
“After all the pre-tour preparation in Cardiff and Dublin the match against the Barbarians on Saturday marks another milestone in the proud history of the Lions and the start of the 2013 tour,” added tour manager Andy Irvine.
“This is the important first match of a ten-match tour and the players are eager to get the tour off on the right note. Training has gone very well and it is exciting to see 11 players making their run-on debuts for the Lions.”
British & Irish Lions (v Barbarians, June 1, Hong Kong):
S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland); A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues/Wales), J Davies (Scarlets/Wales), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues/Wales), S Maitland (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland); O Farrell (Saracens/England), M Phillips (Bayonne/Wales); M Vunipola (Saracens/England), R Hibbard (Ospreys/Wales), A Jones (Ospreys/Wales), R Gray (Scotland), P O’Connell (Munster/Ireland, captain), Dan Lydiate (Dragons/Wales), J Tipuric (Ospreys/Wales), T Faletau (Dragons/Wales).
Replacements: T Youngs (Leicester Tigers/England), C Healy (Leinster/Ireland), M Stevens (Saracens/England), AW Jones (Ospreys/Wales), J Heaslip (Leinster/Ireland), C Murray (Munster/Ireland), J Sexton (Leinster/Ireland), G North (Scarlets/Wales).
Ends
