"We are going to talk to the French consulate and the French Rugby Union to get Chabal here," Namibian Rugby Union CEO Christo Alexander told South African newspaper Sondag.
Having not played an international since their November tour of the UK, the Springboks are using the match as part of their preparations for the first Test against the Lions which takes place in Durban on June 20.
The presence of players of Chabal's calibre and physicality is likely to be welcomed by the South African management who want their players to be battle hardened by the time the series against the Lions kicks off.
The Boks lost the opening Test against the Lions 12 years ago and are desperate to avoid a repeat scenario this time around.
Chabal is not the only player being courted by the Namibian Rugby Union as they look to put together a team capable of providing exactly the kind of challenge de Villiers has requested.
The Namibians have also invited 2007 World Cup winners CJ van der Linde and Butch James to face their own country after it was revealed that de Villiers is reluctant to select overseas-based players for the games against the Lions. Such a move would enable de Villiers to view the Leinster prop and Bath fly-half first-hand, possibly giving the duo one last chance to change the Bok coach's mind.
Namibian-born Percy Montgomery, South Africa's record appearance holder, is another player being touted to play against the world champions, as the Invitation XV look to secure a top-class full back and scrum-half ahead of the fixture.
In another boost to de Villiers and his management, the Namibian Rugby Union have announced that they have approached the official who will referee the first Test against the Lions, despite neither that official nor any of the other appointments for the Lions' 10-match tour having been publicly named yet.
"We are trying everything in our power to make things easier for Peter de Villiers," added Alexander.
"We have also asked the referee who will officiate the first Test to take charge of the game so that the Springboks can get used to his style of handling the game."







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