Saracens play the Springboks at the mighty, brand-new, Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night.

It is a Springbok team wanting to recover the confidence and competence that has made 2009 such a successful year, and Saracens wanting to keep going the momentum of a successful season's up till now, so successful that they are top of the English Premiership, the only unbeaten side.

Saracens are an old club - founded in 1876, a year after Hamiltons and the same year as Villagers, the oldest clubs in South Africa. But despite its age Saracens struggled for years to get fixtures with posh places like Blackheath and Harlequins. Come competitions in England and they were given competitive fixtures. Come the professional age and they embraced it, employing a galaxy of rugby stars and surpassing those who had earlier snubbed them.

They are now a wealthy club with a great marketing policy and likely to get wealthier and stronger. They are also likely to get less and less English. They are situated in England and by their affiliation to the RFU they are an English club. But many of their greatest players, including Tim Horan, Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella, Thomas Castaignède and François Pienaar have come from abroad, joining several English greats, including Jason Leonard and Richard Hill.

Of the 13 players signed for this season, 11 are from abroad though Michael Horak, brought back to England from Italy, has played for England, though a South African.

Much of the money in the club originates in South Africa and so do a lot of the players. A lot? Ten of Tuesday's 22 are from South Africa, and the team is a strong one.

The South African team is strengthened, especially at forward, but they will need a much better performance than they put up against a weakened Leicester Tigers team who beat them. This Saracens team is virtually their first team and that is the team which has taken them to the top of the Premiership.

South Africans with long memories will remember the disastrous tour of 1965 when the Springboks went to Ireland and Scotland, played five matches, as they are doing this time, and did not win a single one of them. Is that what stares the 2009 Springboks in the face, taking the gloss off their achievements in 2009?

Surely they cannot be as bad as they were against Leicester and there is no Martín Castrogiovanni to scrum the daylights out of them. In any case, such is the irony of South African rugby, losing "first-choice" players has strengthened the Springboks side.

The Saracens will be up for it - 10 South Africans with their greatest opportunity to prove their worth while at the same time they are enjoying meeting old friends. When old friends become rivals there is likely to be added spice to the rivalry.

This time the Springboks look better equipped to win at least a fair share of ball but outside of the pack a glance at the Saracens backs suggests that that is where they could give the Springboks a hard time.

There will also be the clash of coaches, both South African, both Springbok centres - Brendan Venter of Saracens and Dick Muir of the Springboks, old adversaries on the field, Venter the third South African to coach Sarries after Alan Zondagh and François Pienaar.

On ancient tours the Springboks did not, the two great universities apart, play club sides in England. They played combined counties. Leicester Tigers was the first (open) club they had played, and Saracens is just the second.

This could just be a great match - skilful friend playing skilful friend at a wonderful venue, on a night when the rain promises to stay at home. It could be a good evening to don a fez or a beanie and head for Wembley.

Much will depend on the attitude of the two teams. If they go looking together for a night of fun and adventure, it will be a great spectacle, but then they will have to resist the temptation to grind out meaningless victory.

iafrica.com prediction: We believe that it will be a high-scoring game with the Springboks getting home by fewer than 10 points.

Teams:

Saracens: 15 Michael Horak, 14 Noah Cato, 13 Kameli Ratuvou, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Michael Tagicakibau, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Justin Melck, 6 Wikus van Heerden (captain), 5 Hugh Vyvyan, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Richard Skuse, 2 Ethienne Reynecke, 1 Rhys Gill

Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Carlos Nieto, 18 George Kruis, 19 Andy Saull, 20 Kevin Barrett, 21 Alex Goode, 22 Rodd Penney

South Africa: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 6 Jean Deysel, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.

Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 François Hougaard, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Riaan Viljoen.

Date: Tuesday, November 17
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Kick-off: 19.45 (19.45 GMT; 21.45 SA time)
Expected weather conditions: Scattered clouds with a high of 13°C dropping to 11°C and a southwester of 21 km/h freshening.
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Rob Debney (England), Paul Dix (England)
TMO: Brian Abrahams (England)

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