Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske, in announcing his side to play the Sharks in a warm-up match in Bloemfontein on Friday night, admitted on Monday that he was still undecided on a number of positions.
Springbok Meyer Bosman gets the nod at inside centre ahead of Herkie Kruger, and former Bull Jacques-Louis Potgieter is preferred to Conrad Barnard at flyhalf.
Springbok flank Kabamba Floors is on the bench with Darron Nell, while World Cup Springbok prop CJ van der Linde gets his first run since the Springboks’ tour to England and Wales in 2007.
Prop — where the Cheetahs have good depth despite the loss of Os du Randt, Jannie du Plessis and Ollie le Roux — loose forward, centre and flyhalf, seem to be the positions Drotske is undecided about.
The rookie Super 14 coach admits that Potgieter’s inclusion is to give him a starting opportunity after Barnard had started in the previous warm-up game.
The 27 players selected for the match against the Sharks are ample proof that the Cheetahs are spoilt for choice in most positions, with players of the calibre of prop Kobus Calldo, hooker Richard Strauss, loose forwards Floors and Nel, locks David de Villiers and Flip van der Merwe, and centre Hendrik Meyer starting from the bench.
Drotske is expected to announce his Super 14 group on Monday. – Sapa
Team:
Hennie Daniller, Eddie Fredericks, JW Jonker, Meyer Bosman, Gavin Passens, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Falie Oelschig, Duanne Vermeulen, Juan Smith (captain), Heinrich Brüssow, Barend Pieterse, Rory Duncan, CJ van der Linde, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez. Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Kobus Calldo, Flip van der Merwe, David de Villiers, Kabamba Floors, Darron Nell, Tobie Botes, Herkie Kruger, Jongi Nokwe, Howard Noble, Hendrik Meyer.