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New look front row for FS Cheetahs

───   11:41 Thu, 07 Aug 2014

New look front row for FS Cheetahs | News Article
Morgan Piek
 
Bloemfontein - The Toyota Free State Cheetahs will be going into this weekends’ Currie Cup opener against the Pumas with a new look front row.
 
With injuries to Coenie and Caylib Oosthuizen, as well as Trevor Nyakane and Adriaan Strauss’ Springbok call-up, coach Rory Duncan has had little option but to name a new front row.
 
SA U20 Bok, Luan du Bruin will be packing at tighthead, while Kevin Stevens will bring experience at loosehead.
 
Captain Torsten van Jaarsveld, will take the hooking duties in his first Currie Cup match as skipper.
 
"It is a new challenge and one that I am looking forward to a lot. I know it will be tough, but there are many senior players in the squad who will play supporting roles," said the former Pumas player.
 
Forwards coach, Os du Randt said his has faith in his strongmen.
 
“There’s not a lot of experience on this level, but hopefully they will pull through. We’ve done quite a bit of work with them, so I believe in them,” said the double World Cup champion.
 
“Luan is definitely someone to watch for the future. He still needs a bit of work on scrummaging, but apart from his scrum work he contributes in the general play as well,” the big man said about his new tighthead.
 
“Kevin is the most experienced in the front row, so he will be the guy to get the guys fired up and keep them in-line,” Du Randt concluded.
 
Meanwhile, Willie du Plessis will start in the number 10 jersey as the teams pivot.
 
The new boy on the block cracks the nod ahead of Elgar Watts who has two Super Rugby campaigns under his belt for the Cheetahs.
 
Assistant coach, Franco Smith says they were impressed with the way Du Plessis played in the 28-12 win over the EP Kings in their warm-up match.
 
Smith said he feels Du Plessis is best suited for their plan on Saturday and considers the player as another choice, rather than first choice. 
 
“We’ve got a plan with all the players, Elgar obviously has all the experience, he’s a very good attacking player with the ball in hand, where I think Willie’s kicking ability it a notch better,” said the former Springbok pivot.
 
“The thinking is to see what we’ve got in Willie. But what we’re seen from Willie against the Kings, and the way we want to play this game, I think the way we line-up best suites us,” Smith added.
 
“But…it doesn’t mean Elgar is the second choice flyhalf, he’ just a different choice,” Smith concluded.
 
The two sides clash at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday evening at 19:10.
 
Pumas - 15 JW Bell, 14 Ruwellyn Isbell, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Rosco Speckman, 10 Justin van Staden, 9 Reynier van Rooyen, 8 Renaldo Bothma, 7 Jaco Bouwer, 6 Corne Steenkamp (Captain), 5 Marius Coetzer, 4 Frikkie Spies, 3 DeJay Terblanche, 2 Francois du Toit, 1 Vincent Koch.
 
Replacements - 16 Frankie Herne, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Giant Mtyanda, 19 Uzair Cassiem, 20 Snake Nyoka, 21 JC Roos, 22 Jerome Pretorius .
 
Free State Cheetahs - 15 AJ Coertzen, 14 Rayno Benjamin, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Willie du Plessis, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Neil Claasen, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Luan de Bruin, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld (Captain), 1 Kevin Stevens.
 
Replacements - 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Henco Venter, 20 Renier Botha, 21 Elgar Watts, 22 JP du Plessis.
 

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Springbok legend, Os du Randt backs the sides new look frontrow:

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