Cheetahs size up fresh meat
There were 10 new faces when a Cheetahs training squad of 50 players began Super Rugby preparations in Bloemfontein on Monday.
The wider group underwent fitness tests on Monday and will start pre-season training in earnest on Tuesday, as they look to secure a spot in coach Naka Drotske's final squad.
Prop Caylib Oosthuizen (Lions), hooker Torsten van Jaarveld (Pumas), tighthead prop Rossouw de Klerk (Bulls), lock Lodewyk de Jager (Leopards), loose forward Tertius Daniller (WP), flyhalf Elgar Watts (Boland), centres Joubert Engelbrecht (Leopards) and Johann Sadie (Bulls) all made their first appearance at training on Monday, along with Griquas centre JP Nel and Griffons flyhalf Hansie Graaff.
One player who was not able to join the squad was SA Sevens player Cornal Hendricks who is with Paul Treu's squad in Stellenbosch.
Hendricks is apparently keen to play Super Rugby for the Cheetahs but his future is uncertain at this stage as both the Sevens side and the Cheetahs claim to have signed him on.
Six of the squad are currently injured, with lock Andries Ferreira, Springboks Coenie Oosthuizen, Johan Goosen and Heinrich Brussow, and eighthman Lappies Labuschagne out of action.
The Cheetahs play the Lions in Johannesburg on January 26 and the Bulls in Polokwane on February 9 but centres Robert Ebersohn and Philip Snyman will not be available for the warm-up games due to SA Sevens commitments.
Cheetahs' wider training group: Steph Roberts, Caylib Oosthuizen, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Lourens Adriaanse, Rossouw de Klerk, Ryno Barnes, Adriaan Strauss, Hercu Liebenberg, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Ligtoring Landman, Francois Uys, Andries Ferreira, Edwin Hewitt, Martin Muller, Waltie Vermeulen, Lodewyk de Jager, Marnus Schoeman, Lappies Labuschagné, Heinrich Brüssow, Boom Prinsloo, Justin Downey, Davon Raubenheimer, Philip van der Walt, Leon Karemaker, Tertius Daniller, Marnus Hugo, Sarel Pretorius, Pieter van Zyl, Tewis de Bruyn, Johan Goosen, Francois Brummer, Hansie Graaff, Elgar Watts, Barry Geel, Robert Ebersohn, Joubert Engelbrecht, Jean Stemmet, Johann Sadie, JP Nel, Rocco Jansen, Raymond Rhule, Cornal Hendricks, Jannie Boshoff, Dusty Noble, Rayno Benjamin, Nico Scheepers, Willie le Roux, Hennie Daniller, Riaan Smit.
