Els, who won back-to-back Currie Cup titles with Suzuki Griquas, joined the Cheetahs a few weeks ago and has been named in the touring squad for the trip to France.

The dynamic loose-forward was one of Griquas’ standout performers during the past season, and his arrival could help fill the void left by the departure of Jeandré Rudolph last year.

Carl Els - Morgan Piek

The squad also welcomes back former Montpellier and Edinburgh fullback Henry Immelman, who brings valuable experience and an intimate knowledge of French rugby, including the demands of the highly competitive Top 14.

New hooker Jaundré Schoeman has also done enough to earn his place in the touring squad after impressing during the recent Tbilisi Cup in Georgia.

Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn told OFM Sport that the team is delighted to have Els on board and believes the former Griquas star will add plenty of value.

“We’re all excited to have Carl Els here. He had a great Currie Cup campaign, and hopefully he finds his feet quickly in our squad and gets comfortable with our system,” said Steyn.

“We want him to continue that good form, because we’re definitely going to need it against Bayonne.”

Steyn stressed that the time for excuses is over, with the Cheetahs needing to let their performances on the field do the talking as they prepare for another demanding European campaign.

“This year, we don’t have any excuses. We’ve got a great squad, and we need to perform,” said Steyn.

“It doesn’t matter where we play; we need to stick to our game plan and execute it better than the opposition on the day.

Neels Volschenk - Morgan Piek

“We’re looking forward to going to Wales later in the competition and making it our new home away from home.”

Captain Neels Volschenk echoed his coach’s sentiments, emphasising that the responsibility rests with the players to rise to the occasion and deliver when it matters most.

“They’ve got an incredible squad with quality international players and guys who have played at the highest level,” said Volschenk.

“That will be a real test for us as a group, because we’ll need to match that standard. We’re looking forward to the challenge, and with this year’s EPCR schedule being so spread out, it will give us a good indication of where we stand.

“But, as the coach said, we have no excuses.”

The Cheetahs face a tough examination of their credentials against Bayonne at Stade Jean Dauger next Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 12:00.

Toyota Cheetahs touring squad:

Backs: Michael Annies, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Faf de Klerk, Zander du Plessis, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Cohen Jasper, Henry Immelman, Prince Nkabinde, Jaco van der Walt, Erich Visser

Forwards: Frankie Dos Reis, Aidon Davis, Carl Els, Siya Ningiza, Dux Manyama, Simon Miller, Tebogo Nkosi, Jaundré Schoeman, Victor Sekekete, Ben Pitout, Juan Venter, Chucky van der Westhuizen, Neels Volschenk, Tielman Niewoudt, Carl Wegner

Morgan Piek OFM Sport