Greg Dyer gets a shot at first five-eighth for the Stags' showdown with Wellington

The Pirates-Old Boys' first five-eighth has been named to wear the No 10 jersey for the Southland Stags' round eight Mitre 10 Cup game against Wellington at Rugby Park on Saturday night.

Dyer has had to bide his time spending most of the season watching from the bench or even in the grandstand.

It will arguably be Dyer's biggest test of his career to date as he looks to prove his worth on the provincial stage.

The Menzies College product is in his second season with the Stags and Saturday night will be just his second start in a Mitre 10 Cup game.

Scott Eade has started at first five-eighth in all of the Stags' eight games to date this season.

He has struggled to make a mark this season and inturn spark the Stags backline.

Southland's eagerness to kick the ball, through the first half of the season at least, has often created head scratching from onlookers.

Eade has been a target of a lot of the public backlash from the Stags' struggles to date this season, however, the reality is lumping the wide-ranging problems on one particular player is overstating his role and unfair.

Whether Dyer can be the person to find a way to spark the Southland attack, and better position the Stags around the field, will be better answered on Saturday night.

In the leadup to the 2017 season Dyer, in fact, looked set to miss out on a contract considering Wharenui Hawera and Scott Eade were both signed, as well as All Black pivot Lima Sopoaga.

However, when Hawera asked for a release to remain in Australia it opened the door again for Dyer.

Dyer's call up to start at first five-eighth is one of three changes to the Stags starting line up from the team which lost 25-20 to Manawatu last Saturday.

The Stags will be without their best player Elliot Dixon with Bill Fukofuka starting at No 8 after spending most of the season slotting in at lock.

Another experienced loose forward, Tim Boys, is also missing from the starting lineup with Tupou Sopoaga coming in to start on the blindside flank and Phil Halder shifting across to the openside.

In the backline, Lewis Ormond returns after missing the last game against Manawatu and he will start on the left wing with Mike Molloy dropping to the bench.

Eade will cover both halfback and first five-eighth from the bench, with regular halfback Liam Howley sadly unavailable following the death of his mother Karen this week following a battle with lung cancer.

The assignment on Saturday night will be a tough one for Southland with very few giving the Stags a hope against the top of the table Championship team Wellington.

Wellington have won seven of their eight games to date this season and have posted a four-try bonus point in all eight games.

The TAB have Wellington's odds at just $1.01 to beat Southland on Saturday.

Last time the two teams played, Wellington won 60-21 in Wellington last year.

Last time they played each other in Invercargill was in 2015 with the Wellington winning 53-3 on that occasion.

Southland's last victory over Wellington came in 2002 when they posted a 22-20 victory in Invercargill.