Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske (picture) has included Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss and Sevens Bok Robert Ebersohn in the team to play the Blue Bulls in a Currie Cup semifinal at Loftus on Saturday.
They were not unavailable last week because of injury.
Ebersohn’s return at centre sees JW Jonker move to the wing in place of Eddie Fredericks who played his 100th game for the Free State side last weekend.
Further good news for the Cheetahs is that flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter and lock David de Villiers are both fit after fears earlier in the week that they might miss the match.
Last week’s hooker Richardt Strauss moves back to the bench and Hendro Scholtz returns to the bench in place of Schalk van der Merwe in other changes from the side that beat the Boland Kavaliers 50-40 last Saturday.
The team is: Bevin Fortuin; JW Jonker, Robert Ebersohn, Meyer Bosman, Jongi Nokwe; Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Tewis de Bruyn; Duanne Vermeulen, Juan Smith (capt.), Heinrich Brussow, Barend Pieterse, David de Villiers, Kobus Calldo, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez. Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Shrek Oosthuizen, Nico Breedt, Hendro Scholtz, Jandré Blom, Hennie Daniller, Kabamba Floors.
