Cheetahs' injured stars cleared
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské on Wednesday named an unchanged team to face the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday, despite earlier concerns over a few injured stars.
Drotské, speaking to this website from the team's base in Sydney, confirmed that all 22 players named in the matchday squad will feature in this Super Rugby Round Five fixture.
The Cheetahs have been preparing for the encounter with the Tahs without captain Adriaan Strauss (ankle strain), flyhalf Johan Goosen (sick) and flank Pieter Labuschagné (hamstring.
Replacement Riaan Smit also watched the build-up from the sidelines with a hamstring strain.
However, Drotské gave them all clean bill of health and the Cheetahs will start with the same XV that demolished the Highlanders 36-19 in Invercargill last Saturday.
The result is that Springboks Heinrich Brüssow and Coenie Oosthuizen will continue to work their way back to full match fitness by playing off the bench – after both only recently made their comebacks from lengthy injury lay-offs – Brüssow after shoulder surgery and Oosthuizen with neck and back trouble.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johan Sadie, 2 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Phillip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuisen, 18 Rynhard Landman, 19 Heinrich Brüssow, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Ryno Benjamin.
Date: Friday, March 15
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick off: 19.40 (10.40 SA time; 08.40 GMT)
Referee: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)
