The Cheetahs have made two changes to their team, one in the backline and one in the forward pack, for their Currie Cup clash with the Blue Bulls in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Springbok loose forward Ashley Johnson has recovered from his minor shoulder injury and takes his place at No.8 with the impressive Boom Prinsloo moved down to the bench once more.

In the backline Riaan Smit comes off the bench to replace Phillip Burger who will be riding the pine alongside a number of talented players such as Prinsloo, Wilhelm Steenkamp and Sias Ebersohn.

After putting minnows the Pumas and the Leopards to the sword in the last two weeks the Men from Bloemfontein will be seriously tested in the next few matches as they face a few of the teams who will be vying for semifinal places at the business-end of the season.

SA Under-20 flyhalf Johan Goosen gets another chance to show what he can do at Currie Cup level after he featured in the first half  in Potchefstroom last week, while another player to watch carefully will be Coenie Oosthuizen whose scrummaging abilities at tighthead prop will surely be put to the test against the Blue Bulls front row.

The Blue Bulls will be desperate to make an impression after their limp performance against the Sharks in Pretoria last week and they will give it everything at the Free State Stadium in an attempt to salvage what has been a disappointing season so far.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Philip Snyman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Philip van der Walt, 6 Pieter Labuschagne, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Philip Burger

Date: Saturday, September 10
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant referees: Quintin Immelman, Linston Manuels
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee