Cell C Sharks Gary Gold has only made 1 change to his starting 15 which thrashed the ORC Griquas, for his side’s must win game against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs on Saturday.
The single change sees Garth April start at fullback for Odwa Ndungane, who shifts to the right wing in place of Wandile Mjekevu.
On the bench, Monde Hadebe replaces Kyle Cooper and veteran Waylon Murray comes in as cover for the backline.
It is do or die for both teams as the final pool clash between the Cell C Sharks and the Free State Cheetahs is effectively a quarterfinal game for both, chasing a Top 4 finish.
The winner of this match will go through to the Currie Cup semifinals, while the loser will be consigned to an early exit from the competition.
“This match is effectively a knock-out quarterfinal with everything to play for,” explains Sharks assistant coach Ryan Strudwick.
“Free State will be tough, we know their threats, they like to throw the ball around and they’ll come at us.
“And like us, they need to win, they’ve had a pretty similar season to us and it will be a very tough challenge, especially going up to Bloemfontein.
“With everything at stake, they’ll definitely bring their ‘A’ game this weekend.”
Cell C Sharks: 15 Garth April, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 S’bura Sithole, 10 Joe Pietersen, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Etienne Oosthuizen, 6 Francois Kleinhans, 5 Marco Wentzel (Captain), 4 Dave McDuling, 3 Gerhard Engelbrecht, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Thomas du Toit
Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Christiaan de Bruin, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Heimar Williams, 22 Waylon Murray.
Date: Saturday 10 October
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-Off: 14:00 SA Time (12:00 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: Jaco van Heerden, Rico van der Hoven
TMO: JJ Wagner