Former England captain Owen Farrell will line up for a World XV when it takes on France in Bilbao in June, the match organisers have announced.
The 32-year-old flyhalf has been in international exile since leading England to third place at last year”s World Cup in France.
When this season finishes he will end his time at Saracens which stretches back to 2008 to join French Top 14 side Racing 92.
“The World XV continues to recruit world-class stars and the latest to confirm his presence in the team is England flyhalf Owen Farrell,” the organisers wrote in a statement on Friday.
The World XV, which will have former All Blacks coach Ian Foster at the helm, already boasts two of Farrell”s former teammates for club and country, Mako Vunipola and his brother Billy.
Fijian flier Semi Radradra and former France half-backs Maxime Machenaud and Camille Lopez, as well as Japan prop Tevita Tatafu, have also agreed to play for the World XV on 22 June.
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The match will act as a warm-up for France, who will be missing players involved in the final four of the Top 14, ahead of their summer tour of South America, where they will play two Tests against Argentina and one against Uruguay.
Meanwhile, Farrell”s 78th-minute penalty gave Saracens a narrow 15-12 win over Bath on Friday as the defending champions edged closer to the Premiership playoffs.
Saracens climbed above Bath into second place in the table, three points behind leaders Northampton.
Bath battled hard, coming from 12 points adrift through tries from Thomas du Toit and Cameron Redpath, plus a Ben Spencer conversion.
Saracens had taken charge thanks to first-half tries by wings Tom Parton and Rotimi Segun, while Farrell kicked a conversion before his match-winning penalty.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Mike Egerton/PA/BackpagePix
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