It will only be the fourth-time these two proud nations battle it out on the rugby field, and it will be their first encounter outside of the Rugby World Cup. The Test kicks off South Africa’s gruelling five-Test End-of-Year tour, and they will be aiming to get off to a strong start.

No less than 11 Springboks on tour play their club rugby in Japan and these include the likes of Kwagga Smith, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, and De Allende.

Cheslin Kolbe and Damian de Allende against Japan in 2019 - SA Rugby

Japan holds a special place in the heart of Damian de Allende. The seasoned Springbok centre spent several seasons playing club rugby in the Land of the Rising Sun and admits he is especially pumped to line up against some of his former Panasonic Wild Knights teammates.

De Allende, part of the Springbok squad that lifted the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, warned that Saturday’s clash with the Brave Blossoms would be no walk in the park.

“It’s exciting to play against Japanese players from other clubs, but this weekend I’m really looking forward to enjoying myself and taking on some teammates from the Wild Knights, because I know how tough they are,” De Allende said.

“I’ve played more than 50 games for that club, so I know the level of intensity they bring.”

He singled out a few names he’s familiar with. “I’ve faced Japanese centre Charlie Lawrence a few times - he’s powerful and lightning quick. And then there’s Dylan Rylie, who I played with in Japan; he’s deceptively strong and fast. It’s going to be a fast, physical, intense game.”

Despite Japan being ranked 13th in the world, De Allende and his midfield partner Jesse Kriel are taking nothing for granted.

“We’ve been preparing for a fast-paced game because that’s how Japan likes to play,” he said. “But it’s just as important for us to play our brand of rugby, on our terms. Japan got stuck in against Australia last weekend and lost by only four points, so we know it’s going to be a tough contest.”

Damian de Allende tackling former Cheetahs flanker and Japan captain Lappies Labuschagne - X

Saturday will also mark a first for De Allende playing on the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium. While he’s watched rugby and NFL games there before, stepping onto the pitch himself is a thrill.

“I’ve seen the Boks play the Barbarians, an NFL match, and the rugby league clash between England and Australia recently, but I’ve never played there,” he said. “The stadium is stunning, full of history and heritage, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Saturday’s Test between the Springboks and Brave Blossoms at the Home of English Football will kick-off at 18:10.

Springboks - 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché

Replacements - 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok

Japan - 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Charlie Lawrence, 11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Lee Seung-sin, 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Michael Leitch, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Ben Gunter, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Kenji Sato, 1 Kenta Kobayashi

Replacements - 16 Shodai Hirao, 17 Ryosuke Iwaihara, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Tyler Paul, 20 Faulua Makisi, 21 Kenta Fukuda, 22 Sam Greene, 23 Tiennan Costley

Morgan Piek OFM Sport