Juan Smith has joined the Cheetahs and has taken part in the fitness sessions, but hasn’t taken any contact. Juan has been out since February 2011, so it is understandable that the coaches are taking a conservative approach. Apart from Smith, several of the Cheetahs frontline players will not feature in the warm-up match versus the Lions on Saturday.
Other frontline players who won’t feature are: Coenie Oosthuizen (prop), Andries Ferreira (lock), Martin Muller (lock), Heinrich Brüssow (flank), Lappies Labuschagne (flank), Phillip van der Walt (eigthman), Johan Goosen (flyhalf), Johan Sadie (centre), Willie le Roux (utility back) and Rayno Benjamin (wing).
Francois Brummer, the highly rated flyhalf who’s career stalled at the Bulls, is looking at using the warm-up matches to stake his claim as the pre-eminent back-up flyhalf to Johan Goosen.
The Cheetahs use a lot of Griquas players, so the warm up matches serve as trials, as the coaches search for the best combinations and synergy. The best available 22 will probably only be seen versus the Bulls on 9 February.
Other “trail matches” are on Saturday versus the Lions, then the Stormers on 2 February and franchise partners Griquas on 6 February.
So by a process of elimination, we can with reasonable accuracy determine that the team versus the Lions will look something like this:
Caylib, Strauss, Rossouw de Klerk, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Marnus Schoeman, Raubenheimer, Vijoen
Pretorius, Brummer, Rhule, Engelbrecht, Ebersohn, Jansen, Daniller
Bench: Nyakane, Liebenberg, Vermeulen, Daniller, van Zyl, Graaff, Riaan Smit.
I am particularly interested in how Lood de Jager will shape, he is the big unknown to me at the moment.
Good to see the Big man back, however if he is not taking contact at this stage is not a good sign with SR just around the corner.
Nou praat ons!
2@ Sharky,
Au contraire bud, tis a good thing. The Super 15 is a long and ardous tournament. There is ample able bodies to start with, it’s the end that becomes a problem.
Better to ease him back into things, he can easily be ready to take contact by the time the Super 15 kicks off, and then start playing off the bench.
With players like Frans Viljoen, Lappies, and Boom Prinsloo there to back up Phillip van der Walt, it’s better to get him back slowly.
@ Cheetah4eva:
Maybe so mate, but put your excitement one side just for a minute, It means very simply he is no where near ready to play, now even as long as the season is, you don’t think in 2 months or so when he can play that he will need to find form? get match fit??
Boet, he has not played contact rugby for 2 years, think about it…….
Hello Cheetah you guys must be pleased with this news will be interesting to see how Smith gets on after such a long lay off. See you still have lots of injury niggles in your list even if they are only being rested as precaution surely you don’t want to start the Super season with these wee niggles you want everyone to be in tip top shape. Can I ask you a favour please could you email me so that I got your address to reply back at lunchtime, cheers vir eers.
It will be good to see him in action again, but will he be as good as he was before? I am not speaking about his first game or 2 but when he has regained full match fitness. Will his body be able to withstand the rigours of rugby?
@ Sharky,
Agreed, 2 years is a long time, but the flip side is, that he is a old campaigner. Much like Butch, how long do you think it will take Butch to hit form after a long term injury? A few matches at most.
If Juan gets fit for just the tail end of the season, it would be worth it. The Super 15 league matches runs to mid July. Surely two months is enough to get match fit. Not taking contact yet means nada. Most players coming off injury can start taking contact within weeks. So if his body copes he can start playing matches end April, with still 10 rounds to go.
That’s better than rushing, and maybe only getting three weeks or less.
I wish him well, really do but until he proves to be the Jean of old, I have my reservations
@ Cheetah4eva:
Boet do not get me wrong here, I am very happy Juan is returning and is one of my all time favorite players and hopefully he proves me wrong and hits form straight away.
I am however just being realistic.
@ Cheetah4eva:
I can smell their fear………………………….
No time now to post proper article but injuries for the Bulls not looking good with Wilhelm Steenkamp now out for between 4 and 6 weeks with shoulder injury, with further injury news from the Bulls camp as follows:
Zane Kirchner (back, two weeks), Dewald Potgieter (back, two weeks) and Werner Kruger (back spasm, two weeks) will be in the swimming pool instead of the training pitch for the next two weeks.
This follows the injury to Dean Greyling last week, with a stress fracture to his foot ruling out the prop for at least four more weeks. To add to their woes, prop Frik Kirsten is suffering from migraine and will only see limited action this week, while wider training group prop Basil Short injured his AC joint and will be out for two weeks.
Springbok touring squad member Arno Botha has another week to go before he can take to the field following a groin operation, but national teammates Chiliboy Ralepelle and Jacques Potgieter is back in training.
Former Junior Boks Tony Jantjies (groin, two weeks) and Wiaan Liebenberg (hamstring, one week) will return to squad soon.
Rudy Paige (ankle), Grant Hattingh (ankle), Bjorn Basson (ankle) and Akona Ndungane (groin) will be fit to train on Thursday.
@ Bully,
Sorry bud, only got back to the office now. You can use my RT addie cheetah4eva@rugby-talk.com. I imagine it’s more about checking what the Griqua boys have to offer in the early trials. They know exactly what the likes of Coenie, Goosen, vd Walt and Brüssow bring to the table. As I understand, all the rest with the exception of Brüssow will be ready for the opening fixtures.
@ Lion4ever, Sharky and Gena,
I guess we will all wait and see. I would just like a guy like Juan, who has been a role model of note as a bok, to go out of the game on his own terms, hopefully on a high.
@ Bully,
That looks bad on the surface, but most players will be ready to take the field, come the start. That said with both Greyling and Marcel out for the first few weeks the much vaunted Bulls pack will be vulnerable. Mellet shows promise, but is still a greenhorn.
Isn’t Kirsten more of a tighthead? It sure leaves them thin in the frontrow. Only 3 recognised props to start the warm up matches with? Mellet, Kruger and Kirsten
@ Loosehead:
Agreed Loskoppie, just the thought of the likes of Brüssow, Juan and hard man Viljoen has them quaking in their slippers
They know that with them three playesr on the park, “Prince Pat” won’t be wearing his dancing shoes lol, as for Jantjies, it will straighten his croesies but quick!
@ Cheetah4eva:
This is why Sharky et al are always saying that he must not rush back, and he is not going to be the player that he was. They are kak bang of Juan.
@ Loosehead:
Lol, and with Viljoen and Juan there, no cheap shots on Brüssow will save their assess!
ek dink die is orgasmatoriese nuus.skielik luk als sommer beter
13 @ Cheetah4eva:
no worries man, ok will try that one either later tonight or early tomorrow morning
Groot slag tref Cheetahs voor reeks – Drotské
Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
BLOEMFONTEIN. – Naka Drotské se diepte op slot het skielik ’n Super-kopseer geword.
Die Toyota Cheetahs-afrigter sal nou ook sonder die beseerde Martin Muller (lies) in die Superrugby-reeks moet klaarkom.
Muller het tydens ’n oefening seergekry, sal sowat drie maande uit wees en het hom by Andries Ferreira (knie) op die krukkelys aangesluit.
Hulle sou waarskynlik Drotské se voorkeur-slotpaar gewees het.
Muller sou Saterdag in hul eerste Super-oefenstryd, teen die Leeus in Johannesburg, be- gin het en word deur Francois Uys vervang.
Johann Sadie (dyspierbesering) is ook nie oorweeg nie, maar sal in ander oefenstryde speel.
Die Springbok-haker Adriaan Strauss word nog ’n ruskans gegun ná ’n propvol rugbyjaar in 2012 en daarom sal Robert Ebersohn kaptein wees.
Ebersohn word steeds as binnesenter, waar hy ’n kombinasie met Sadie kan vorm, ingespan, met JP Nel as buitesenter.
Maar dit is Muller se verlies wat die meeste kommer wek. Hy kan eers weer einde April speel.
Die Toyota Cheetahs speel op 27 April hier teen die Southern Kings en het daarna ses wedstryde oor.
Ferreira, Muller, Lodewyk (Lood) de Jager, Waltie Ver- meulen, Ligtoring Landman en Uys is Drotské se slotte.
Ferreira gaan hul eerste Super-wedstryd, op 23 Februarie hier teen die Haaie, en waarskynlik die Super-toer, misloop.
Al vier die ander slotte is teen die Leeus in die 22-tal.
“Martin word geopereer. Dit is ’n groot slag.
“Hy het ’n goeie kans gestaan om op nr. 5-slot in ons eerste Super-wedstryd te begin,” het Drotské gesê.
De Jager, wat ook in die nr. 5-trui ingespan kan word, sal volgens hom op Super-vlak vanweë sy jong ouderdom oorwegend eers as nr. 4-slot speel.
Die beseerde stut Coenie Oosthuizen (rug), die losskakel Johan Goosen (knie), die heelagter Willie le Roux (lies), die flank Lappies Labuschagné (enkel) en die agtsteman Philip van der Walt (knie) is nie oorweeg nie.
Drotské het gesê hy sal eers in sy oefenwedstryd teen die Bulle, op 9 Februarie in Polokwane, sy beste span kies.
Die Toyota Cheetahs-span is:
Hennie Daniller, Jannie Boshoff, JP Nel, Robert Ebersohn (k), Raymond Rhule, Francois Brummer, Pieter van Zyl, Boom Prinsloo, Tertius Daniller, Marnus Schoeman, Francois Uys, Lodewyk de Jager, Rossouw de Klerk, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Caylib Oosthuizen.
PLAASVERVANGERS: Hercu Liebenberg, Trevor Nyakane, Ligtoring Landman, Waltie Vermeulen, Tewis de Bruyn, Barry Geel, Hansie Graaff.
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