Loose forward Ashley Johnson will have the perfect opportunity to show the Springbok selectors the middle finger this weekend, as he is named to start at number 8 for the Cheetahs. Coach Naka Drotske has made few other changes to his side to face Griquas in a tough away encounter this weekend.
Boom Prinsloo has been made to pay for only scoring three tries against the Pumas last week, with his man-of-the-match performance in a big win seeing him dropped to the bench to make way for Johnson. Cameron Jacobs – a late replacement for Ryno Benjamin at wing last week – retains the left wing jersey and will have the opportunity to cement his place in the side, after Benjamin was ruled out for a month or more due to a hamstring injury.
Veteran lock Wilhelm Steenkamp – who is heading BACK to the Bulls at the end of the season – makes a long-awaited return from injury as he is named on the bench, alongside another player with huge experience in winger Philip Burger.
Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Smit, 14 Philip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corne Uys, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Pieter van Zyl, 21 Johan Goosen, 22 Philip Burger.
So Boom scores a hat trick and now he`s left out of the team?
Can`t he be moved to flank or something?