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Cape Town - Last year’s Pumas 'Player of the Year', hooker Frankie Herne, will start against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday night after starting from the bench in each of their previous nine Currie Cup fixtures.
Herne has been behind Marko Janse van Rensburg and Mark Pretorius in the pecking order so far this season but gets his opportunity with Pretorius out with a hamstring injury this weekend.
Flank Lambert Groenewald also had to be replaced due to a shoulder injury. Brian Shabangu, who started from the bench recently, has been called up to the starting line-up.
Herne has scored three tries from the bench this season and is a vital cog in the side’s driving mauls.
The Pumas' top try-scorers in the competition are Mark Pretorius, Khwezi Mona, Trompie Pretorius and Ruwellyn Isbell on four each.
Flank Francois Kleynhans has also been named on the bench after recovering from a head injury.
The backs remain unchanged.
Teams:
FS Cheetahs
TBA
Pumas
15 Justin van Staden, 14 Jerome Pretorius, 13 Gerrit Smith, 12 Hennie Skorbinski (captain), 11 Ruwellyn Isbell, 10 Kobus Marais, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Brian Shabangu, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Stefan Willemse, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 2 Frankie Herne, 1 Kwezi Mona.
Substitutes: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 De-Jay Terblanche, 18 Cameron Lindsay, 19 Fancois Kleinhans, 20 Hilton Lobberts, 21 Theo Maree, 22 Selom Gavor
