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Cape Town - Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie has named his team to face Irish side Connacht at The Sportsground in Galway on Saturday.
Kick-off is scheduled for 18:15 (SA time).
Aranos Coetzee has returned from World Cup duty with Namibia and starts at tighthead prop, with Luan de Bruin providing cover on the bench.
Jasper Wiese starts at No 8, replacing Henco Venter who has joined the Sharks.
In the backline, Dries Swanepoel returns from injury and starts in midfield alongside Benhard Janse van Rensburg, while Clayton Blommetjies starts at right wing with William Small-Smith providing cover off the bench.
Hooker Wilmar Arnoldi and flyhalf George Whitehead will be making their PRO14 debuts if they get chances off the bench.
The Cheetahs currently top Conference A after three wins to start the season but this is their first match on tour.
“I believe that we are in a good place, coming from a successful Currie Cup season and having won the first three PRO14 matches. The players know what is expected for them and they know what to do where on the field,” Fourie said ahead of his first official game as new Cheetahs coach.
Captain and scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar added: “It’s a tough place to go to, weather-wise it is changing and we have had great conditions so far in the tournament, so it is something we have to get used to. We have had a chat and we believe we can back our skill-set in the conditions and still play the game we want to play to put teams under pressure.
“Connacht is a really good team and they haven’t lost a lot of players to World Cup duty. They have continuity in their selection and have started off well this season. It will be a big challenge but that is what a tour is for, you have to challenge yourself against the best. It is a tough one first up though and we are looking forward to getting started.”
Teams:
Connacht
TBA
Cheetahs
15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Clayton Blommetjies, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Gerhard Olivier, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Sintu Majezi, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche
Substitutes: 16 Wilmar Arnoldi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Luan de Bruin, 18 JP du Preez, 19 Sias Koen, 20 Tian Meyer, 21 George Whitehead, 22 William Small-Smith
