Flyhalf, Lionel Cronjé will start at pivot for Allister Coetzee’s charges, replacing Ishma-eel Dollie who has started the last two matches in that position.
The other forced change may involve replacing centre, Johann Sadie, who has fallen ill with a stomach bug.
The move has prompted the coaching staff to reshuffle the backline once more, with the favoured move seemingly moving wing, Danie Poolman to the midfield, should Sadie not recover in time for Saturday’s clash.
“Danie has been training this week, but Johann took a bump against the Bulls, and is now sick. I think it’s a stomach bug or something, and we will make a call on him on Friday,” WP backline coach Robbie Fleck told Thursday’s Cape Times.
“Berton Klaasen has been with us and is a centre, but he and Marcel Brache are inside centres. We are looking at under-21 player Michael van der Spuy, as well as Stokkies Hanekom and Tiger Bax.
“The other option is to move Danie to 13, and bring in Bom (Shuaib Samaai) at wing. Danie has played at outside centre for the under-21s and in the Varsity Cup, while Bom has played a lot of Currie Cup rugby for the Leopards. We will look at all our options tomorrow at practice.”
Meanwhile, Cronjé, who will leave WP after the end of the current campaign after signing for the Blue Bulls earlier this week ,joins the exodus of young talent leaving the Mother City, while Dollie will be left out in the cold once again.
“I feel for Ish, as he was finding his rhythm within the team. But Lionel is 100% fit, and is the only flyhalf at our disposal, so he is back in the mix,” Fleck said.
“We always talk to him about control, but we want him to bring his natural talent to the game. He is a dangerous player and we will back him on that, obviously within the game plan we use.”
Teams:
Western Province:
15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Marcel Brache', 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Tertius Daniller, 6 Nick Fenton-Wells, 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg (captain), 1 JD Moller
Substitutes: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Nizaam Carr, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Berton Klaasen, 22 Heinrich Steyl
Free State Cheetahs:
15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Rayno Benjamin, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Philip Snyman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Boom Prinsloo, 6 Pieter Labuschagne, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Substitutes: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Francois Uys, 19 Johan Wessels, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Andries Strauss.