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Ebersohn S14 debut on hold

Jóhann Thormählen

Bloemfontein – Sevens Springbok Robert Ebersohn will not be making his Super 14 debut for the Cheetahs against the Highlanders on Saturday.

The Cheetahs on Tuesday picked the same 22-man squad that beat the Sharks for their clash against the Highlanders. Ebersohn, who is recovering from an ankle injury, will have to wait another week for his chance.

He will have to play for Free State’s Vodacom Cup team again before being picked for the Cheetahs.

Ebersohn broke his ankle in last year’s Currie Cup and featured off the substitutes bench for the Free Staters against a Sharks XV in a warm-up game before the Vodacom Cup last Friday.

Cheetahs assistant coach Hawies Fourie said that Ebersohn would not be risked. He will first play for Free State in their opening Vodacom Cup match against the SWD Eagles on Saturday.

“We wanted to pick Robert as a substitute, but the doctor felt that he should wait for another week and play a half for the Vodacom Cup side before we consider him,” said Fourie.

Frans Viljoen keeps his place at the back of the scrum at the cost of Ashley Johnson following a good performance against the Sharks.

Viljoen (No 8) was so good that he played a full 80 minutes and Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské did not even use Johnson as an impact player.

“We need a few physical players in the Super 14 and he did his job really well,” said Fourie.

The Sharks even took flanker Jean Deysel off the field. “The performances by the likes of Nico Breedt (lock) ad Frans had a lot to do with that,” said Fourie.

He believes it’s important for the Cheetahs to build on combinations as injuries prevented them from building a core before their first game.

Meyer Bosman (centre), Naas Olivier (flyhalf), Heinrich Brüssow (flanker) and Johnson were sidelined in the week before the Bulls game.

The Cheetahs team:
Riaan Viljoen, Danwel Demas, Lionel Mapoe, Meyer Bosman, Jongi Nokwe, Naas Olivier, Tewis de Bruyn, Frans Viljoen, Juan Smith (captain), Heinrich Brüssow, David de Villiers, Nico Breedt, WP Nel, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez.
Substitutes: Ryno Barnes, Coenie Oosthuizen, Waltie Vermeulen, Ashley Johnson, Sarel Pretorius, Sias Ebersohn, Hennie Daniller.

 
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