The Cheetahs travel to the Friendly City coming off an impressive 28-10 victory over the Bulls in Harare on Saturday to win the inaugural Lafarge Cup.

Coach Franco Smith fielded a young and inexperienced side which was led by lock Reniel Hugo for the match in Zimbabwe, while the majority of the more senior players rode the bench.

Former captain, Francois Uys, who is being rested after a stint with Toyota Verblitz in Japan, told OFM Sport that he doubts that former Springbok and Stormers hooker, Tiaan Liebenberg, will be joining the team in Port Elizabeth.

“Tiaan (Liebenberg) is still in Bloem with about five or six guys that can play that haven’t been selected to go with.

“I doubt Tiaan will get a go, but who knows, maybe Franco (Smith) will call him up tomorrow and says he must come through if he wants to.

“Franco said it might be an option to maybe give a guy a call and say come through to PE and participate in that game.”

“But I doubt that will be the case, he’s picked two different sides so I think that this weekend a totally different 15 will start the game.

Flyhalf, Sias Ebersohn, who re-joined the team from the Western Force late last season, will be linking up with his teammates after attending his sister’s wedding last week.

The Cheetahs open their Super Rugby campaign on 26 February against the Los Jaguars in Bloemfontein.

Morgan Piek/OFM Sport