Cheetahs bring some big guns back
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské wasted no time in drafting in his two frontline props, Coenie Oosthuizen and WP Nel, as they head to Wellington for a Super Rugby showdown with the Hurricanes.
In all Drotské made four changes to the team that suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Crusaders, despite a strong second-half comeback last week.
The biggest changes for this Saturday’s game sees Oosthuizen at loosehead prop in place of Trevor Nyakane, who drops down to the bench and Nel for Lourens Adriaanse on the other side of the front row.
There are also two backline changes.
Piet van Zyl will start at scrumhalf ahead of veteran No.9 Tewis de Bruyn, while Sevens Springbok Ryno Benjamin return on the right wing and Cameron Jacobs drops out of the matchday 22.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 George Earle, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Andries Ferreira, 19 Ashley Johnson, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Philip Snyman.
Date: Saturday, March 31
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 17.30 (04.30 GMT)
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
