There are few sights that Welford Road has not seen in the 117 years Leicester have played there but a game between the club and South Africa is one of them. So the arrival of the world champions for the official opening tonight of the Caterpillar Stand in front of a capacity 24,000 crowd has a special local resonance, while, for the Springboks, it kicks off the final phase of an exceptional year.

They have beaten the Lions, they are Tri-Nations champions and they have the opportunity on their end-of-year tour to bring down Europe’s grand-slam heroes, when they play Ireland at Croke Park on November 28. They warm up against France in Toulouse a week today and Italy eight days later but they will enjoy the two midweek opportunities, against Leicester and, on November 17, Saracens at Wembley.

“We will treat Leicester like any other game,” Dick Muir, their assistant coach, said. “It will be good preparation for the game against France because Leicester have some great players and internationals all over the place, and they play a great brand of rugby. It’s also a chance for our newcomers to stake a claim, as there are places up for grabs on the bench and in the starting line-up.”

South Africa field nine internationals against a Leicester team shorn of the five players required by England against Australia tomorrow but still able to play seven internationals from five countries. The same pack that undermined Northampton’s challenge in the Guinness Premiership last weekend will start and Aaron Mauger moves to fly half, which allows the introduction of two teenaged centres, Andy Forsyth and Manu Tuilagi.

This gives Anthony Allen and Jeremy Staunton a rest; the pair have not only played in every game this season but every pre-season game, too.