Another day, another captain! The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs which will run onto the field on Friday night will see three changes to the first 15 as well as a new captain. Nico Breedt will be at the front when they run onto the field after Adriaan Strauss injured his thumb against the Blue Bulls, an injury that is expected to keep him out of action for 6 weeks.

My international rugby player of the year, Heinrich Brussow, is given a rest and his place will be taken by Hendro Scholtz. Keeping it in the family, cousin Richardt Strauss will replace Adriaan at hooker whilst Tewis de Bruyn will get a run at nine in the starting team. Tewis who came back after a shoulder operation, is given much needed game time and should not be seen as a slap in the face of JP Joubert, who has done well according to backline coach Hawies Fourie.

Jongi Nokwe is fit again after injury to his hamstring but the current form of the wingers Juries and Mapoe is such that the coaches could only find a spot on the bench for him. Kabamba Floors also makes it to the bench and will do his impact roll as usual.

The team is:

Hennie Daniller, Lionel Mapoe, Corné Uys, Meyer Bosman, Fabian Juries, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Tewis de Bruyn , Ashley Johnson, Frans Viljoen, Hendro Scholtz , David de Villiers, Nico Breedt (k) , WP Nel, Richardt Strauss , Wian du Preez. Reserves: Coenie Oosthuizen, Izak van der Westhuizen, Kabamba Floors , JP Joubert, Louis Strydom, JW Jonker, Jongi Nokwe.

The Leopards team is as follows (reserves still to be finalized):

Danie Dames, Jovan Bowles, Deon van Rensburg, Bernd Theissinger, Bom Samaai, Cecil Dumond, Jean Tiedt, Riaan Swanepoe, Bennie Adams, André Swanepoel (k), Draad Linde, Brad Mockford, Os van der Walt, Pellow van der Westhuizen, Divan Kotzé.