Cheetahs call-up for Bok Lobberts
Forgotten Springbok Hilton Loberts has been thrown a Super Rugby lifeline, with a call-up to the Cheetahs team.
The 27-year-old Griquas forward, who has two Bok caps, will play off the bench when the Cheetahs tackle on of Loberts' former teams, the Stormers, at Newland on Saturday.
Among the teams Loberts featured in since his first-class debut in 2006 – the same year he made his Bok debut against England at Twickenham – include the Blue Bulls, Bulls, Western Province, Stormers, Boland Cavaliers Italian club San Donà and (since last year) Griquas.
His call-up is one of two changes to the Cheetahs bench, where he replaces lock Waltie Vermeulen.
Scrumhalf Tian Meyer, who like Lobberts was part Vodacom Cup-winning Griquas team, also comes onto the bench for Renier Botha.
Coach Naka Drotské made no changes to the starting XV which beat the Brumbies 27-21 in Bloemfontein last week.
Drotské, speaking to rugby365 during the build-up to his team's trip to Cape Town, confirmed that a host of injured players will only return after their June break.
The Cheetahs have a bye next week, before facing the Sharks (July 5 in Bloemfontein) and Lions (July 12 in Johannesburg) in their remaining matches.
While there are no new injuries, Bok flyer Raymond Rhule (ankle) and scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius (ankle) are both still sidelined with injuries.
"Everybody who played last week were available," the coach told this website.
"Raymond Rhule, Sarel Pretorius, Lodewyk de Jager, Philip van der Walt and Lappies Labuschagne will only be back after the June break," he added.
De Jager, who has been sidelined for a month with as finger injury, was this week called up to an expanded Springbok training squad that will gather in Durban on Sunday.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Rayno Benjamin, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Johannes Prinsloo, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Willem Serfontein, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Nicolaas van Dyk, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Carel Greeff, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Riaan Smit
Date: Saturday, May 24
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
