Former Western Province flank Justin Melck will play for Germany against Sweden in Stockholm on Saturday.

The 31-year-old, who represented SA U21 in 2004, has been released for the international fixture by Saracens, who play Clermont in their European Cup semi-final on the same day.

'I'm really excited about it,' Melck told AFP. 'I am not sure the skill levels will be as high you get in professional rugby, but it'll be good, straight-running rugby, just the way I like it.

'There has been some banter from the Saracens boys, you could hear the German national anthem at a training session for example. But there are guys like Chris Wyles, who plays for the United States, and Jacques Burger of Namibia, who play for the smaller nations.

'You see these guys come back from playing, the effort they put in and their passion to help their countries. I'm looking forward to being a part of that.'

Photo: Ben Hoskins/Getty Images