Booysen and Jackson will the centre pair against Maties and make up two of the six changes to the starting XV.

The only other change in the back-line is at right wing where Kruger van Heerden will have his first Varsity Cup start of the season.

Up front there are changes at No 8 where Mark Nicholls gets just reward for his outstanding performance in the intervarsity, flank (Tendayi Chikukwa) and tight head prop where injured Peet Vorster is replaced by Jacques Botha.

Fly-half Juan-Claude Roos, the foremost point scorer in the series, is back in the mix after missing out on the 22 that played UJ.

His presence on the bench will be reassuring as his replacements as kickers in the starting line-up struggled against UJ.

Roos is however bracketed with Jaco Oosthuizen, awaiting the outcome of a fitness test on Friday. Roos injured his foot during training on Tuesday.

The team is:

15 SHAUN DAVIDS
14 KRUGER VAN HEERDEN
13 JOHAN JACKSON
12 FRANCO BOOYSEN
11 LUVUYO MHLOBISO
10 MARNITZ BOSHOFF
9 CHRISTIAAN VAN DEN BERG
8 MARK NICHOLLS
7 TENDAYI CHIKUKWA
6 DEVIN OOSTHUIZEN
5 PEET BOTHMA
4 JOHAN DE BRUIN (c)
3 JACQUES BOTHA
2 HENRY BANTJES
1 ETTIENNE BREYTENBACH

16 CORNE FOURIE
17 ROSSOUW DE KLERK
18 DUNCAN NAUDE
19 DANIE CROUS
20 IGNICK WINDVOGEL
21 JUAN-CLAUDE ROOS/JACO OOSTHUIZEN
22 SAMPIE MASTRIET