Cape Town - Cheetahs fullback Willie le Roux has been included in their starting line-up for the pre-season clash against the Bulls in Polokwane.

Le Roux, who has impressed as a substitute in pre-season games so far this year, is one of several changes from the team that beat a second string Stormers outfit at Newlands last week.

Le Roux, winger Rayno Benjamin, centre Philip Snyman, flank Ashley Johnson and prop Trevor Nyakane will all start on Saturday. They were not in the starting XV against the Stormers.

The Bulls are expected to pick their best team, which has prompted the Cheetahs to give Le Roux his big chance against quality opposition.

Cheetahs backline coach Hawies Fourie says he knows what he has in incumbent fullback Hennie Daniller and therefore wants to test the 22-year-old Le Roux.

"Willie has thus far mostly got a chance as a substitute and played for Boland in last year's Currie Cup First Division.

"We want to give him a chance against real Super-opponents.

"Hennie played really well. We want to test Willie at a higher level and see how he handles it," Fourie told the Volksblad newspaper.

Snyman and Benjamin also get their chance after so far mostly playing as substitutes or against weak opposition.

"There's big rivalry at wing and centre and we want to see what they do against better players.

Snyman competes with Andries Strauss for the No 12 jersey, while Benjamin and Dusty Noble compete for a spot on the wing.

Springbok Johnson will also get a chance at flank, instead of playing at eightman.

On Friday, the Cheetahs will also play with a so-called "B-team" against the Bulls' second stringers in Pretoria. Fourie said they will use 25 players for this clash.

Teams: (For Saturday in Polokwane)

Bulls:

TBA

Cheetahs: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Philip Snyman, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Ashley Johnson, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Lourens Adriaanse, 18 Francois Uys, 19 Philip van der Walt, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Hennie Daniller, 23 Andries Strauss.