By Stu Piddington

he New Zealand Heartland team is buzzing after their first practice together in Timaru.

On Saturday the best of the Heartland Championship's provinces take on New Zealand Marist at Alpine Energy Stadium.

NZ Heartland coach Barry Matthews said the team trained well.

DOUG FIELD/STUFF

Nick Strachan going through training drills at Alpine Energy Stadium ahead of Saturday's game against NZ Marist.

"There is certainly some excitement there as you would expect representing your country.

"Everyone is getting to know each other as well." 

There have been two changes to the original side, one in the forwards and one in the backs.

Mid Canterbury fullback Maleli Sau was red carded for a high tackle in the third minute of the Lochore Cup on Saturday so was unavailable with an automatic stand down.

Matthews won't be sweating on his replacement however with in-form Wanganui wing Cameron Crowley called in.

Crowley was man of the match in the Meads Cup final after a stand out performance where he set two tries up and scored the other one himself.

He was originally named in the NZ Marist side but as the national team takes precedence, he has switched sides.

The 27-year-old was also the Heartland Championship player of the year back in 2008 and has spent several years playing in Australia before returning home.

Wanganui lock Sam Maddens was also a late withdrawal with his place going to King Country's Everard Reid.

Reid was in the NZ Heartland side in 2016 so again Matthews and assistant coach Craig Scanlon have an able replacement.

With only 23 in the Heartland squad for the one-off game, everyone is likely to get some game time.

Matthews and Scanlon will name their starting XV on Thursday afternoon, which is when NZ Marist will have their first training run together.

Coaches Shaun Breen and Nigel Walsh will have little time to get their side drilled and familiar with each other.

Matthews is however wary of the threat they pose despite a short build-up.

"They have named a decent squad, with players with Super Rugby and Mitre 10 Cup experience. It won't be easy, it's probably the strongest team I have seen in a few years."

South Canterbury have four players in the NZ Heartland side.

No.8 Kieran Coll is back from 2016, when he captained the side to Fiji, while veteran prop Matt Fetu has been picked three times previously.

Halfback Willie Wright and open side Nick Strachan are debutants, but unfortunately Wright is under an injury cloud.

Young West Coast first five Tom Reekie and Mid Canterbury's Jared Percival were in the same situation in depriving Marist of two first choice 10s.

The squad features just seven players from the 2016 campaign including Coll.

NZ Marist does not feature any Timaru Celtic players but two former ones are in the squad.

Midfielder James Hawkey plays his club rugby in Nelson after moving there to be part of the Crusaders Academy while loose forward Sam Vea has tried his luck in Hamilton.  

Fetu, Strachan and Wright were also selected for NZ Marist but Matthews again had first choice.