Durban — Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie has retained Reinhardt Fortuin at flyhalf for their Currie Cup visit to the Lions on Friday (7pm) despite regular 10 Siya Masuku being back from illness.
The latter has been in good form this season but missed the Cheetahs’ win over Western Province in Cape Town two weeks ago and returned to training this week but Fourie has elected to play him off the bench at Emirates Airline Park.
In an interesting change, Rosko Specman has been granted leave to get married on Saturday and Duncan Saal starts in his place on the left wing.
The Cheetahs are still unbeaten with 31 points on the log from seven matches and are within a point of the table-topping Bulls.
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The Lions could not be in a more contrasting position, having lost every single game they have played, and most of them have been by large margins.
“We won’t focus on the fact that we are unbeaten, nor on the Lions not having won — they were unlucky to lose to Griquas in the last minute of their last game,” Fourie pointed out. “We also don’t view ourselves as the top team in the competition.”
Cheetahs team – 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Duncan Saal, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar (c), 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Jeandre Rudolph, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Aidon Davis, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Marne Coetzee, 19 Ockie Barnard, 20 Andisa Ntsila, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Robert Ebersohn.
IOL Sport