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Van der Merwe and Dee Named in Barbarians Starting XV vs Springboks

BBC Sport •
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Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe and Wales hooker Elliot Dee have been selected to start for the Barbarians in Saturday's clash against South Africa at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The 14:00 BST kickoff sees Van der Merwe feature against the Springboks before joining Gregor Townsend's squad for the upcoming Nations Championship campaign.

Dee, a veteran with 56 caps, missed out on Steve Tandy's original Wales summer squad selection. He partners Edinburgh's D'Arcy Rae in the Baa-Baas pack, while Liam McConnell also starts despite being named in Scotland's extended roster. New Zealand scrum-half TJ Perenara captains a side that includes Argentina fly-half Tomas Albornoz and Munster centre Alex Nankivell.

South Africa arrive without their Bulls contingent, who face Leinster in Friday's United Rugby Championship Grand Final. Coach Rassie Erasmus uses this opportunity to assess prospects ahead of the Nations Championship. The match forms part of a double-header with South Africa A facing Zimbabwe earlier in the day at the venue now known as Gqeberha.

Van der Merwe's inclusion provides valuable game time before international duty, while Dee gets a chance to impress on the world stage. Both players will need strong performances to influence future selection discussions as the summer tests approach.