Tough-as-nails NNC Pumas flanker, Phumzile Maqondwana, has been selected for the Carling Champions team which will play Kenya at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Ginter Smuts is a non-playing reserve. Should starting scrum half, Keegan Johannes, or reserve scrum half, Paul de Wet, pull out of the match 23, Smuts will be drafted into the team.

Some of South Africa’s most exciting provincial players will be on display in the match will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

In a first for local rugby, fans were asked to select the team, and the players with the most votes from supporters across South Africa were named for this historic match against Kenya.

The  team have been training under the watchful eye of Jake White, the Vodacom Bulls’ director of rugby, and his coaching staff in Pretoria the past few days.

Kenya arrived on Wednesday afternoon and immediately resumed their training schedule after settling into their Pretoria base.

Both sides will conclude their preparations with their respective captain’s runs on Friday at Loftus.

A limited number of fans will also be allowed to attend the match after Covid-19 restrictions were recently eased.

The Carling Champions Team:

15. Sibongile Novuka (Vodacom Bulls.
14. Werner Kok (Cell C Sharks)
13: Chris Smit (Toyota Cheetahs)
12. Howard Mnisi (Toyota Cheetahs)
11. Stravino Jacobs (Vodacom Bulls)
10. Brandon Thomson (Toyota Cheetahs)
9. Keagan Johannes (Vodacom Bulls)
8. Arno Botha (Vodacom Bulls)
7. Phumzile Maqondwana (New Nation Pumas)
6. Nama Xaba (DHL Western Province)
5. Reniel Hugo (Cell C Sharks)
4. PJ Steenkamp (Sigma Lions)
3. Aranos Coetzee (Toyota Cheetahs)
2. Schalk Erasmus (Vodacom Bulls)
1. Simphiwe Matanzima (Vodacom Bulls)

Replacements:
|16 Joe van Zyl (Vodacom Bulls)
17 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls)
18 Mhleli Dlamini (Vodacom Bulls)
19 Reinhardt Ludwig (Vodacom Bulls)
20 Marcel Theunissen (DHL Western Province)
21 Paul de Wet (DHL Western Province)
22 George Whitehead (Tafel Lager Griquas)
23 Stedman Gans (Vodacom Bulls)

Non-playing reserves:
24 Ntuthuko Mchunu (Cell C Sharks)
25 Chad Solomon (DHL Western Province)
26 Leolin Zas (DHL Western Province)
27 Ginter Smuts (New Nation Pumas)
28 Tian Meyer (Toyota Cheetahs)
29 Ashlon Davids (Tafel Lager Griquas)
30 Marius Louw (Cell C Sharks)  

The Kenya Simbas tour squad to South Africa:
Forwards: Ian Njenga, Joshua Chisanga, Andrew Siminyu, Eugene Sifuna, Griffin Musila, Boniface Ochieng, Ephraim Oduor, Patrick Ouko, Joseph Odero, Malcolm Onsando, Thomas Okeyo, George Nyambua, Dan Sikuta (captain), Brian Juma, Fidel Oloo, Steve Sakari, Elkeans Musonye.
Backs: Barry Robinson, Brian Wahinya*, Jone Kubu, Brian Tanga, Derrick Ashiundu*, John Okoth, Vincent Onyala, Samuel Asati, Peter Kilonzo, Darwin Mukidza (vice-captain), Jacob Ojee, Isaac Njoroge, Andrew Matoka.

Match information
Time: 13:00
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
TV: SuperSport