Cheetahs v Black Lion - Teams and prediction 

PREVIEW: The Cheetahs will prepare for their upcoming Challenge Cup tournament by hosting Black Lion from Georgia in a two-match series.

Dubbed the Cheetahs Challenge, the Bloemfontein-based outfit has previously hosted teams such as the Western Force and Emerging Ireland.

This will be the first time the Cheetahs will play the competition against a fellow Challenge Cup outfit.

For the hosts, it’s important to play against a team that has the same objectives as themselves heading into the EPCR tournament later this season, according to captain Victor Sekekete.

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“I feel that it’s better [playing against Black Lion] because both teams will want to simulate what they want to achieve abroad [in the Challenge Cup],” Sekekete said.

“It’s better in the sense that we’re playing in the same competition.

“We will also take the conditions into perspective. It’s good and we’re looking forward to it.”

Director of Rugby Frans Steyn laid out the objectives he wants his team to achieve during this two-match tournament.

“We want to win whilst playing a good brand of rugby.

“We will go through our checklist over the next couple of weeks on the objectives we want to achieve, and that will be our focus point.

“If we go into a week and say that we want to achieve these four objectives, we should he able to tick them all off the checklist.

“From a coaching point of view, I don’t feel we drove it enough, but I feel we’re at a place where we are on a roll and driving those objectives quite well.

“I just want to see growth and improvement in this team in terms of how we are on the field, our levels of intensity and the smaller stuff we’ve worked on.”

Prediction 

@rugby365: Cheetahs by 14 points

Teams 

Cheetahs: 15 Michael Annies, 14 Prince Nkabinde, 13 Marco Janse van Vuren, 12 Franco Smith, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Clayton Blommetjies, 9 Jandre Nel, 8 Neels Volschenk, 7 Pierre Raymond Uys, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Arno van der Merwe, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Tielman Niewoudt
Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Malcom Lamont, 18 Frankie Dos Reis, 19 Mihlali Mosi, 20 Sisonke Vumazonke, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Rewan Kruger, 23 Zander du Plessis

Black Lion: 15 Otar Metreveli, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Zaur Lutidze, 12 Tornike Kakhoidze, 11 Shalva Aptsiauri, 10 Luka Tsirekidze, 9 Tengiz Pranidze, 8 Giorgi Sinauridze, 7 Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 6 Sandro Mamamtavrishvili, 5 Demur Epremidze, 4 Mikheil Babunashvili (captain), 3 Kakhaber Darbaidze, 2 Irakli Kvatadze, 1 Dato Abdushelishvili
Replacements: 16 Tamaz Tchamiashvili, 17 Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 18 Badri Tsikhistavi, 19 Giorgi Nikoladze, 20 Lasha Tsikhistavi, 21 Giorgi Spanderashvili, 22 Alexander Todua, 23 Luka Takaishvili.

Date: Friday, October 17
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 18.00 (20.00 GET; 16.00 GMT)
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
Assistant referees: Tiaan Engelbrecht, Ashton Ockhuys
TMO: Stephan Geldenhuys