Stephen Donald was in vintage touch in the match against the Reds in New Plymouth last month, and will celebrate his 100th game for the Chiefs on Saturday.

Twelve years after Mat Rogers and co ran amok in his debut, it's those Waratahs who loom again as Stephen Donald celebrates his 100th match for the Chiefs in their Super Rugby clash in Hamilton on Saturday.

After coming off the bench as a fresh-faced 21-year-old in the opening round of the 2005 season in a 25-7 defeat in Sydney, Donald doesn't have overly fond memories of his first game. But a fair bit of water has passed under Hamilton's six bridges since then.

So stunning has been Donald's storyline - quickly going from the target of heavy nationwide criticism to gaining folk hero status with his 2011 World Cup-winning heroics - that the man had his life replayed in movie form.

Now 33, Donald is just delighted to still be involved in the game, and is savouring every moment, as he becomes the fourth player to ton up for the Chiefs, behind Tanerau Latimer, Liam Messam and Hika Elliot.

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This will be his 99th Super Rugby match, but when that sterling performance against Wales last year is included, it's this weekend which will be cause for celebration. Though, in his typically understated way, Donald isn't making much fuss.

"This team and this area means everything to me, and yeah, it's certainly nice to bring up the 100, and it'll mean a lot to me in years to come," he said. "But right now I'm just grateful for another opportunity to wear the Chiefs jersey. I'm just excited for another chance to run out.

"I'm loving playing at the moment and I'm just enjoying my rugby."

The veteran has been named at second five-eighth after missing last Friday's 16-16 draw with the Blues in Auckland with concussion, having sustained the knock against the Crusaders in Suva the week before.

Prior to that game Donald put in a real vintage display against the Reds in New Plymouth when deputising at first-five for Aaron Cruden. It was shades of that Wales game, and it showed he still had plenty to offer.

Assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge was in charge of the development team when Donald came through the ranks and felt it was so fitting for him to be the first back to reach three figures for the team.

"He's an iconic player for the Chiefs," Strawbridge said.

"He's been wonderful for this franchise.

"He's just added to his story the last two years in his second stint."

This time out Donald is hoping to help seal a result which can keep the Chiefs in contention to finish second in the New Zealand conference, with the Crusaders all but uncatchable for them.

"Saturday's about us starting to build again," he said. "Obviously we're a bit disappointed with the last few weeks."

He takes the No 12 jersey from Johnny Fa'auli, who drops out of the 23 altogether. There is one other change to the starting side, with Toni Pulu returning to the right wing after a hamstring strain kept him out of the last two matches. Tim Nanai-Williams moves from the flank to the bench, having pulled up ok from the ankle injury suffered in Auckland, with Shaun Stevenson dropping off the reserves.

Openside flanker Mitchell Karpik comes onto the bench, in place of Lachlan Boshier, who will turn out for the Provincial Barbarians against the Lions, while of note is the inclusion of Bay of Plenty hooker Liam Polwart.

The former New Zealand Under-20 rep is set for a debut after being sidelined since the start of the season with concussion. The 22-year-old has got a handful of club games under his belt and takes the place of Hika Elliot, who last week announced he was leaving for France at the end of the season.

"Liam's probably the future for our franchise," Strawbridge said. "He's one of the young guns who we're looking to build our future campaigns on. He's been performing really well at training, he's been throwing really well under pressure, he's a pretty dynamic sort of player - really good with ball in hand - and he's pretty abrasive.

"We don't see a lot between him and Hika at the moment, so he's getting an opportunity, Hika's had lots and lots of opportunities."

Chiefs: Damian McKenzie, Toni Pulu, Anton Lienert-Brown, Stephen Donald, James Lowe, Aaron Cruden (co-c), Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam, Sam Cane (co-c), Mitchell Brown, Brodie Retallick, Dominic Bird, Nepo Laulala, Nathan Harris, Kane Hames. Reserves: Liam Polwart, ﻿Siegfried Fisi'ihoi, Atu Moli, Taleni Seu, Mitchell Karpik, Jonathan Taumateine, Tim Nanai-Williams, Solomon Alaimalo.