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Highlanders name weakened squad for Kings clash

Cape Town - The defending champion Highlanders have named a 25-man squad without several of their high-profile All Blacks stars for their Super Rugby clash against the Kings at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, July 2.

Kick-off is at 19:20.

However, two additional players will join the squad from the All Blacks following Saturday third Test against Wales in Dunedin.

While the names of those two players remain a mystery, the Highlanders do boast seven members of the current national set-up, in the form of: Elliot Dixon, Liam Squire, Lima Sopoaga, Ben Smith, Aaron Smith, Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo.

The squad will leave on Saturday and will arrive in Johannesburg on Sunday.

It is yet to be confirmed whether the touring squad will have any other additions for their following fixture against the Jaguares in Argentina (Saturday, July 9 at 23:40 SA time).

The Kings are currently bottom of the Africa Conference 2 and seventh in the South African Group with two victories from their 12 matches to date.

The Highlanders are faring somewhat better and lie fourth in the New Zealand Conference and fifth in the Australasian Group with eight wins from 12 matches.

Highlanders squad:

Aki Seiuli, Greg Pleasants-Tate, Josh Hohneck, Mark Reddish, Joe Wheeler, Gareth Evans, Shane Christie, Luke Whitelock, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Ross Geldenhuys, Dan Pryor, Tom Franklin, Siosiua Halanukonuka, Ash Dixon, Te Aihe Toma, Marty Banks, Ryan Tongia, Rob Thompson, Jason Emery, Jack Wilson, Matt Faddes, Jamie Booth, Fletcher Smith, Teihorangi Walden, Patrick Osborne

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