Flanker Lappies Labuschagne will captain the Blue Bulls against the Canon Eagles on Friday.

Bulls coach Nollis Marais has selected a strong team to face the Japanese outfit, with the starting XV filled with players who featured in Vodacom Super Rugby this year.

Marais included Springboks Deon Stegmann, Werner Kruger, Arno Botha, Francois Hougaard and Dean Greyling, while Bandise Maku will play off the bench.

‘This is a great opportunity for us to get into the thick of things in an unfamiliar environment,’ Marais said. ‘We have been treated wonderfully well and I want to thank our hosts, but come Friday we will not be treated with gloves anymore. We are expecting a tough encounter from a team packed with quality players. This is a final test to our preparations and we need to make the most of it.’