Leicester Tigers' young back-rower Ben Pienaar will be looking to impress two countries when he plays against South Africa at Welford Road tonight (7.30).

The 23-year-old is eligible to play for both South Africa and England, and admits he would throw in his lot with whoever gave him the chance to play international rugby.

Pienaar was born in Free State in South Africa but his parents moved to England 18 years ago.

He admits he feels South African but now he is a British citizen he would love to play for England.

"If England want me to play for England, I'm English," said Pienaar, who was brought up in Norfolk and went to Gresham School.

"Whoever asks me, I'll play for them. I was five when we came here and my dad saw a better opportunity for us in England.

"The rest of my family are still back home, I have got lots of uncles, aunties and, of course, grandparents."

Pienaar, who made a big impression when given an opportunity last season, makes only his third appearance of the campaign tonight and needs more first-team exposure to start pushing his international claims. This game is a golden opportunity for him.

He will be up against a typically belligerent Springbok pack.

"I don't know if it will feel weird," he said about playing against his fellow countrymen.

"It will be exciting more than anything else, and I would definitely want to beat them. I'm looking forward to it and I aim to take the opportunity with both hands."

While South Africa are fielding their midweek side ahead of a Test against France next weekend, Pienaar acknowledges there is no such thing as a weak Boks team.

He said: "You will never find a weak South Africa player. If they bring someone on tour you know they are going to have something about them.

"The competition at the breakdown is going to be tough, but for the last few weeks we have been training hard and doing well in the rucks and mauls, so we'll be all right.

"The feeling in the camp is that, while it's a friendly, no game is a friendly. It's going to be tough and the boys are feeling good. We will come out firing."

Pienaar, a national judo champion at three age groups as a youngster, shrugged off the fact that Tigers are without many of their big guns due to international calls and injuries.

He said: "We don't field a weak side. The superstars may be away but we have strength in depth. No problem."

Tigers field an unchanged pack but have been forced to risk two teenagers, Andrew Forsyth, 19, and Manu Tuilagi, 18, in the centre.

Dan Hipkiss is with England, Matt Smith, Billy Twelvetrees and Sam Vesty are injured, Aaron Mauger is playing fly-half and Anthony Allen is being rested.

It means a baptism of fire for Forsyth, who made his debut as a late replacement against Northampton, and Tuilagi, brother of Alesena, who makes his second appearance.

Tigers: Hamilton; Amorosino, Forsyth, M Tuilagi, Murphy; Mauger (capt), Youngs; Ayerza, Davies, Castrogiovanni, Green, Kay, Parling, Pienaar, B Deacon. Reps: Chuter, Cole, Armes, Hemingway, Grindal, Tonks, Tuqiri.

South Africa: Rose; Ndungane, de Jongh, Olivier, Nokwe; R Pienaar, Adams; Steenkamp, Ralepelle (capt), J du Plessis, Rossouw, Bekker, Potgieter, Raubenheimer, Johnson. Reps: Maku, van der Merwe, Hargreaves, Deysel, Hougaard, Bosman, Viljoen.