A south African prop, an Australian halfback, two ex-Warriors and a former Otago Nugget will feature in the Otago trial in Alexandra next Tuesday.
The squads for the Blue-Gold game at Molyneux Park were released yesterday and both include plenty of new names.
One who has just arrived on the Otago rugby scene is South African prop Pieter van de Merwe, who is an unknown quantity but will get a chance to impress in a problem position for the province.
Harbour's good form in the premier competition has been recognised with the selection of seven of its players, including former North Otago midfield back Siaosi Folau and well-performed openside flanker Jason Kelly.
Pirates halfback Steve Bruce comes from a New Zealand family, but he has been living and playing on the Gold Coast for years.
Highlanders halfback Sean Romans is not playing in the trial and there is speculation Toby Morland is leaving Otago, so Bruce, Dunedin's Fraser Lau and Lawrence's James Kenny will be keen to impress.
Lock is another area wide open, with Tom Donnelly on the Junior All Black tour, Hayden Triggs on a post-Highlanders break, Josh Townsend recovering from an ankle injury and Ross Kennedy looking for opportunities elsewhere.
Cowan Finch was a junior basketball star and Nuggets regular who has made rapid strides since switching to rugby.
Both of Taieri's league converts, Michael Witt and Ryan Shortland, are in the trial, with Witt competing with Glenn Dickson and Sam Young for a first five-eighth role, and Shortland in the midfield mix.
The under-performing Highlanders wingers Lucky Mulipola and Fetu'u Vainikolo are both playing and need to find their best form.
Wakatipu loose forward Ben Blakely is in the Blue team and six further Country players - including four from the Lawrence club - line up for Gold.
Donnelly, Triggs, Romans, All Black loose forward Adam Thomson, Highlanders Steven Setephano, Ben Smith and Alando Soakai, Crusaders draft hooker Jason Macdonald and likely first-choice first five Chris Noakes are not playing in the trial.
The Blue team is being coached by Otago under-19 coaches Brett McCormack and Nick Moore, while the Gold team is being coached by the Otago Colts duo of Barry Stevens and John Keenan.
