The Cheetahs will tackle the Sables on Saturday in a contact session with the eye on next week’s match against the Stormers.

The fullback, Clayton Blommetjies, will not be available for the match of the Challenge Cup as he is recovering from surgery.

The good news for the Cheetahs is that the Springbok winger, Rosko Specman, is back in training and should be available for selection.

The Cheetahs will also have to make do without the flyhalf Brandon Thomson, centres Chris Smit and Howard Mnisi, as well as the scrumhalf, Tian Meyer, and tighthead prop, Aranos Coetzee, as they will be playing against Kenya in Pretoria.

These five players will be in action for the Invitational XV coached by Jake White. The game makes up the Carling Champions Match.

Next week the Cheetahs will host the Stormers in the Challenge Cup and they will also play games against the Sharks, Diables Barcelona of Spain, and Baia Mare from Romania.

Morgan Piek/OFM Sport