SPRINGBOK captain John Smit will become the first South African to play 100 games for a Super 14 team when the Sharks hosts the Cheetahs in round two of the competition.

The 31-year-old Smit will reach the landmark in Durban tomorrow and will be joined by Pedrie Wannenberg a day later when the loose forward makes his 100th Super rugby appearance for the defending Super 14 champions, the Bulls.

Former South Africa internationals AJ Venter, Ollie le Roux and Albert van den Berg have all played more than 100 games but for different teams. George Gregan holds the Super rugby record with 136 games for Australian team, the Brumbies.

Smit made his then Super 12 debut in 1999 and, apart from a brief spell at French club Clermont, has spent his entire career at the Sharks.

The Sharks and South Africa captain told the Sharks’ website it was an amazing feeling to reach the milestone.

“I missed a season through a shoulder injury and one spent in France, and through those things you wonder to yourself where it will all end, and to be sitting here now, 31 years old about to run out for my 100th game for the Sharks, I’m pretty proud of that,” Smit said.

The Sharks made a disappointing start to its 2010 Super 14 campaign last weekend when they lost 19-18 at home to the Chiefs.

In response, coach John Plumtree named Springboks Adi Jacobs, Ruan Pienaar and Jannie du Plessis in his starting lineup yesterday for the match with the Cheetahs after the trio started on the bench against the Chiefs. Lock Alistair Hargreaves will play his first Super 14 game in place of the injured Johann Muller.

Smit has been moved from prop to hooker and will captain the team.

Teams named yesterday were:

Sharks: Stefan Terblanche, Odwa Ndungane, Waylon Murray, Adrian Jacobs, JP Pietersen, Ruan Pienaar, Rory Kockott; Tendai Mtawarira, John Smit (c), Jannie du Plessis, Steven Sykes, Alistair Hargreaves, Jacques Botes, Jean Deysel, Ryan Kankowski. Reserves: Bismarck du Plessis, Deon Carstens, Willem Alberts, Keegan Daniel, Charl McLeod, Monty Dumond, Andries Strauss.

Bulls (v Brumbies): Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Stephan Dippenaar, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Pedrie Wannenburg, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Gurthro Steenkamp. Reserves: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, Flip van der Merwe, Derick Kuun, Heini Adams, Jacques-Louis Potgieter and John Mametsa. – Sapa