While the match is a Currie Cup fixture, Movember have come on board for the derby and the match will be played in order to raise awareness of men’s health.

Coach Franco Smith named his team for the match this morning and it sees the return of winger Raymond Rhule to the starting XV and captain Francois Uys returns from the bench to lead the side.

Oupa Mohoje, who led the side last week and hooker Elandré Huggett are both out with injuries, while Springbok wing Cornal Hendricks drops out of the squad and is on World Cup standby.

Neil Rautenbach comes in on the bench in the place of Huggett and will be joined by Tertius Kruger and Zee Mkhabela.

Smith told OFM Sport they will need to cut out the errors this weekend when they face their neighbours after their 32-24 loss to a 14-man Eastern Province Kings last week.

“From a spectator's perspective it might have given the perception that things were disorganised, but if you look at it carefully I think we just made a lot of unforced errors.

“We talked about it and it’s part of the growing process that once you get into a position where you feel that you might be the dominating team on the field the focus might shift from what you must do to what the outcome might be.

“I think that was the lesson that we learnt this week.

“There’s no crisis or panic around it because there’s no lack of enthusiasm and intensity etc. I feel that it’s just the focus that lacked.”

Speaking about the occasion Smith said he wished he knew last year already that the match would be for the Movember Cup. Smith jokingly said his team is still too young to shave.

“I must say it’s a pity that we didn’t know beforehand that it’s going to be happening this early, because I could have told them last year already to start growing.

“Most of the players in the team are so young that they don’t even shave yet.”

Saturday afternoon’s untelevised match at the Free State Stadium kicks off at 15:00 and the Springboks World Cup match against Japan will be on the big screens after the match at the venue.

Free State Cheetahs – 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (vc), 12 Rayno Benjamin, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Gerhard Olivier, 5 Francois Uys (captain), 4 Armandt Koster, 3 Luan de Bruin, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 BG Uys.

Replacements – 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Teunis Nieuwoudt, 18 Reniel Hugo, 19 Freddy Ngoza, 20 Zee Mkhabela, 21 Tertius Kruger, 22 Sias Ebersohn

Morgan Piek / OFM News