Cheetahs make solitary change for Cardiff clash

Cape Town - Cheetahs coach Franco Smith has named his team for Friday’s PRO14 encounter against the Cardiff Blues at Cardiff Arms Park.

Smith made only one change to the starting XV that drew 39-all with Irish side Ulster in Bloemfontein last weekend.

Ryno Eksteen starts at fullback, replacing the injured Malcolm Jaer, while, loose forward Daniel Maartens is also a newcomer to the bench.

The Cheetahs’ draw against Ulster marked the highest level score in the competition’s history and they will target their first win of season against the Cardiff Blues.Both sides succumbed to defeats in their first three matches but will be inspired by vastly improved showings last week.

The hosts come off a comprehensive 37-13 victory against Munster at home, which marked their first win of the season, while the Cheetahs were in the lead until the final minute against Ulster before a late try saw the match end in a draw.

The last two encounters between the sides were thrilling, with the Cardiff Blues winning 25-20 at home and the Cheetahs winning 29-27 in the return match in Bloemfontein.

“It’s good to have continuity, which is an important factor for team to grow. With continuity we can learn from mistakes and grow for form a good base. This tour is important to give the next step towards winning and doing better away from home. Cardiff offers a big challenge. They are well prepared and we expect a fast game on the artificial ground,” Smith said.

Kick-off is at 20:35 (SA time) on Friday.

Teams:

Cardiff Blues

15 Matthew Morgan, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Willis Halaholo, 11 Jason Harries, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Josh Turnbull, 7 Ellis Jenkins (captain), 6 Olly Robinson, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 George Earle, 3 Scott Andrews, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Rhys Gill

Substitutes: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Brad Thyer, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Macauley Cook, 20 Sion Bennett, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 Steven Shingler, 23 Garyn Smith

Cheetahs

15 Ryno Eksteen, 14 William Small-Smith, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Nico Lee, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Gerhard Olivier, 5 JP du Preez, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Gunther Janse van Vuuren, 19 Justin Basson, 20 Stephan Malan, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Shaun Venter, 23 Louis Fouche