Sharks coach John Plumtree sprung another selection surprise when he named the team to face Boland in a pre-season outing in Durban on Friday.

Among the most significant of the selections is naming of French star Frederic Michalak at scrumhalf and Springbok Patrick Lambie at flyhalf.

JP Pietersen, another of the seven Boks in the starting XV, will again be trialled at outside centre, with Tim Whitehead as his midfield partner this week.

The back three comprise Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane and Riaan Viljoen - an exciting blend of power, raw pace and safety.

The front row, like most of the combinations, features a combination of young guns playing alongside seasoned Boks.

Bismarck du Plessis provides the experience between Dale Chadwick and Wiehahn Herbst.

Steven Sykes, back from his stint in Ireland last year will partner Anton Bresler in the second row, with Keegan Daniel captaining the side at flank - with Marcell Coetzee selected at No.8 and young Pieter-Steph du Toit getting a start at flank.

An extended, 13-man bench affords game time to many of the remaining squad and again features a healthy mix of youth and experience.

Sharks: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Frederic Michalak, 8 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Keegan Daniel (captain), 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Replacements - from: Craig Burden, Julian Redelinghuys, Ross Skeate, Jandré Marais, Jacques Botes, Ryan Kankowski, Lubabalo Tera Mtembu, Charl McLeod, S'bura Sithole, Meyer Bosman, Marius Joubert, Paul Jordaan, Louis Ludik.

Date: Friday, February 10
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende, Reuben Rossouw