Catt last played for England in Australia in 2004

Newcastle centre Mathew Tait and new 6ft 7in London Irish lock James Hudson also start, while Peter Richards and Olly Barkley are the half-backs.

New captain Pat Sanderson will play at number eight, while the 22 contains 15 of the squad to tour Australia.

Wasps hooker Raphael Ibanez will lead a star-studded Barbarians side, chasing a fourth straight win in the fixture.

While there are 11 players from Leicester and Sale, who are involved in Saturday's Premiership final, unavailable, those on England duty on Sunday have a chance to stake a claim for a starting spot for the tour-Test tour to Australia.

The backline in particular looks similar to that which could line up for the first Test against the Wallabies on 11 June.

SCRUM V VIEW A little surprised that Catt and Tait are in from the start FP Scrum V: Have your say

Catt starts his first England game since winning the last of his 66 caps against Australia in 2004, and his first at Twickenham since facing South Africa in 2001.

Alongside him at centre will be Tait, discarded after just one Test as an 18-year-old against Wales in the 2005 Six Nations.

Iain Balshaw will also relish his first England outing in more than a year after another injury-interrupted season, while full-back Mark van Gisbergen gets his first England start.

In the absence of regular captain Martin Corry and Lawrence Dallaglio, Sanderson's deployment at number eight is a sign of coach Andy Robinson's thinking for the Australia tour.

"I am excited about the side we have selected," he said.

Alex Brown (left) and James Hudson will form England's second row

"There is a good blend of experienced internationals such as Balshaw and Catt, as well as guys we are looking to develop through the Churchill Cup like Hudson and James Forrester.

"Playing a strong Barbarians side will be an ideal test before we go to Australia, and the Saxons to Canada. I am confident that, ably led by Pat Sanderson, they can win."

The Baa-Baas will have Northampton and former All Blacks duo Carlos Spencer and Mark Robinson at half-back, both key players in the Baa-Baas's 52-39 win in last season's fixture.

Ex-Wallabies Joe Roff, Matt Burke and Toutai Kefu and Frenchmen Olivier Magne Thomas Castaignede and Christian Califano also start the match.

As well as Magne, London Irish will also be represented by Samoan centre Dominic Feau'nati and Irish lock Bob Casey.

England: M Van Gisbergen (Wasps); J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), M Tait (Newcastle), M Catt (London Irish), I Balshaw (Gloucester); O Barkley (Bath), P Richards (Gloucester); T Payne (Wasps), L Mears (Bath), D Bell (Bath), J Hudson (London Irish), A Brown (Gloucester), J Forrester (Gloucester), M Lipman (Bath), P Sanderson (Worcester, capt).
Replacements: D Paice (London Irish), D Barnes (Bath), K Roche (London Irish), J Haskell (Wasps), S Bemand (Leicester), S Abbott (Harlequins), D Armitage (London Irish).

Barbarians: M Burke (Newcastle & Australia); B Reihana (Northampton & New Zealand), T Castaignede (Saracens & France), D Feau'nati (London Irish & Samoa); J Roff (Kubota & Australia); C Spencer (Northampton & NZ), M Robinson (Northampton & NZ); A Lo Cicero (L'Aquila & Italy), R Ibanez (Wasps & France, capt), C Califano (Gloucester & France), B Casey (London Irish & Ireland), T Palmer (Wasps & England), X Rush (Cardiff Blues & New Zealand), O Magne (London Irish & France), T Kefu (Kubota & Australia).
Replacements (from): M Regan (Bristol & England), P Bracken (Wasps), D Leo (Wasps & Samoa), S Harding (Northampton & NZ), J Marshall (Ospreys & NZ), D Humphreys (Ulster & Ireland), I Nacewa (Auckland & Fiji), F Waters (Wasps & England), D Hewett (Edinburgh & NZ), O Finegan (Newcastle & Australia).