Cheetahs playing a waiting game
The Cheetahs made two changes to their team for the Super Rugby Round 14 encounter with the Reds on Saturday.
However, the selectors may well be forced into late changes again.
The changes will see Elgar Watts starting at flyhalf in place of Burton Francis, who drops out of the matchday 22, and Pieter Labuschagne on the flank in place of Frans Viljoen, who was also axed from the matchday squad.
However, Labuschagne's inclusion is subject to a late fitness test – after he missed last week's loss to the Hurricanes with an elbow injury he sustained against the Southern Kings last month.
"We're waiting to see if Lappies [Labuschagne] will make it or not," assistant coach Hawies Fourie told this website, adding: "We will give him till Friday's captain's run."
There are also two changes to the replacement bench – Riaan Smit will provide flyhalf cover after having made his comeback from injury in a couple of Vodacom Cup matches in recent weeks, while Johannes Prinsloo provides loose forward cover.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Rynhardt Landman, 19 Johannes Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Ryno Benjamin.
Date: Saturday, May 18
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT; 01.10 Sunday, May 19 AEST)
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Ben Crouse (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
