Jimmy Stonehouse has been named as coach for the Carling Champions Team to take on Italy ‘A’ at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.

The exciting 30-man Champions Team is made up of players who were voted for by fans after impressing during the Currie Cup season and also includes Springboks and Blitzboks players.

Stonehouse, who coached the Pumas to Currie Cup success for the first time in their history on Saturday when they beat Griquas in the final in Kimberley, will be in charge along with his provincial management team.

Included in the side are two Springboks, Cornal Hendricks and Embrose Papier, who will be joined by the experience of Victor Sekekete, Nama Xaba, Clayton Blommetjies and Robert Ebersohn.

Hendricks, Ebersohn, Blommetjies and Angelo Davids are the four players in the squad who have represented the Blitzboks.

Xaba and the Bulls duo of Keagan Johannes and Simphiwe Matanzima and will feature for the second time in the Champions Match after they appeared last year when the team met Kenya at Loftus.

Carling Champions Team: 15 Clayton Blommetjies (Toyota Cheetahs), 14 Daniel Kasende (Toyota Cheetahs), 13 David Brits (Toyota Cheetahs), 12 Cornal Hendricks (Vodacom Bulls), 11 Angelo Davids (DHL WP), 10 Siya Masuku (Toyota Cheetahs), 9 Keagan Johannes (Vodacom Bulls), 8 Mihlali Mosi (Toyota Cheetahs), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni (Sigma Lions), 6 Nama Xaba (DHL WP), 5 Janko Swanepoel (Vodacom Bulls), 4 Victor Sekekete (Toyota Cheetahs), 3 Robert Hunt (Vodacom Bulls), 2 Marnus van der Merwe (Toyota Cheetahs), 1 Simphiwe Matanzima (Vodacom Bulls)

Replacements: 16 Dan Jooste (Cell C Sharks), 17 Dewald Maritz (Airlink Pumas), 18 Kwenzo Blose (DHL WP), 19 Shane Kirkwood (Airlink Pumas), 20 Willie Engelbrecht (Airlink Pumas), 21 Embrose Papier (Vodacom Bulls), 22 Tristan Leyds (DHL WP), 23 Devon Williams (Airlink Pumas)

Additional players: Eduan Swart (Airlink Pumas), Keke Morabe (DHL WP), Andries Fouche (Airlink Pumas), Sanele Nohamba (Sigma Lions), Theo Boshoff (Windhoek Draught Griquas), Robert Ebersohn (Toyota Cheetahs), Alwayno Visagie (Airlink Pumas)