Well now! Naka has sprung a surprise or two with his team named to tackle the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday, in a must win encounter. The Bulls need to win to stay in contention for the play-off’s and the Cheetahs could still mathematically (slight chance indeed) make the play-off’s. With Coenie Oosthuizen and Hennie Daniller out injured, a shuffle in the front row and some tweaks were expected, but Naka is showing that he isn’t afraid to innovate.
The Cheetahs Team:
Team: 1 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 4 Andries Ferreira, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 8 Ashley Johnson, 9 Piet van Zyl, 10 Riaan Smit, 11 Rocco Jansen, 12 Andries Strauss, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 14 Phillip Snyman, 15 Willie le Roux.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 WP Nel, 18 George Earl, 19 Justin Downey, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Nico Scheepers.
Naka sure surprised me with his selections. Of course, like his Cheetahs team mate, Marcel van der Merwe has played tighthead at school and he was the standout player for the Cheetahs in the Vodacom Cup as a loosehead prop, but going head to head with Dean Greyling is a challenge for young Marcel. He is strong and very mobile and just loves the ball-in-hand game. Naka is clearly using the last rounds to build for the Currie Cup and next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Willie le Roux is back to his favourite position at fullback, which gives the Cheetahs an attacking weapon from the back.
Goal kicking won’t be a problem as Riaan Smit, Sias Ebersohn and Willie le Roux are all able goal kickers, and on the bench is Tewis de Bruyn who has taken kicks at goal as well. In addition Nico Scheepers was the top points scorer in the Vodacom Cup, so the pressure will be on Morné Steyn to lift his kicking game considerably. The kick-and-chase from the Bulls will have to be spot on because Willie le Roux in space will cause mayhem.
VRYSTAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAT!
Surely we will miss Coenie, but this is not a bad team at all. Gooo Cheetahs!! I like !!
Yes we will miss Coenie, but I have been impressed with Marcel vd Mewre. Imagine those two monsters in tandem next year. Coenie 183 cm and 127 kg, Marcel 189 cm and 126 kg, with Strauss wedged in between! I like, I like very much lots!
Van Zyl and Goosen will have ball a plenty to play with.
Bulls team is up, and the match ups are mouth watering:
15 Zane Kirchner vs Willie Le Roux
14 Akona Ndungane vs Rocco Jansen
13 JJ Engelbrecht vs Robert Ebersohn
12 Wynand Olivier vs Andries Strauss
11 Bjorn Basson vs Phillip Snyman
10 Morné Steyn vs True Blue Smit
9 Francois Hougaard vs Piet van Zyl
8 Pierre Spies vs Ashley Johnson
7 Jacques Potgieter vs Lappies Labuschagne
6 Dewald Potgieter vs Brussow
5 Juandre Kruger vs Izak vd Westhuizen
4 Flip van der Merwe vs Andries Ferreira
3 Werner Kruger vs Trevor Nyakane
2 Chiliboy Ralepelle vs Adriaan Strauss
1 Dean Wors Greyling vs Marcel vd Merwe
.Replacements:
16 Willie Wepener vs Hercu Liebenberg
17 Frik Kirsten vs WP Nel
18 Wilhelm Steenkamp vs George Earle
19 CJ Stander vs Justin Downey
20 Jano Vermaak vs Tewis de Bruyn
21 Louis Fouché vs Sias Ebersohn
22 Francois Venter vs Nico Scheepers
Cheetahs missing Goosen, and Coenie. Bulls missing Stegman, Morne Steyn, Hougaard, and Sefontein lol
4@ Cheetah4eva:
Hopefully it will be a good game, the game is not won on paper but what do you make of those match ups in the list, I make it 18-4 to the Bulls, thats without my blue glasses on
@ Bullscot,
See now! You have gone and ruined the blossoming friendship.
In all fairness, the Bulls do have the upper hand, both in ratings, and results. The problem is, rugby is a funny old game. Man for man, the Sharks were also better than the Lions, but they got roundly whipped.
All I know, is that the Cheetahs are very dangerous, when they have nothing to lose. If the Bulls can keep the game tight, it’s a comfortable win. If the Cheetahs get quick ball, and space to run, then anything can happen.
Game is at Loftus, and the Bulls have had the Cheetahs number, on most occassions, but methinks, we have an upset on the cards,
Cheetahs to sneak a win lol
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