The Cheetahs will face defending Super Rugby champions the Chiefs this weekend without regular number 8 Philip van der Walt. The tournament’s leading tackler went under the knife today to repair a broken hand and is expected to be out of action for around two months.
In a further blow, there’ll be no return for Coenie Oosthuizen this week either. While it was initially thought the Bok tighthead might be cleared for a return to the field after picking up a neck injury on tour, it’s since been revealed that he will need at least another two weeks away from the coalface.
Jean Cook will start in the number 8 jersey this week, with Lappies Labuschagne restored to the number 7 jersey. Another change sees Trevor Nyakane start at loosehead for the first time this season, as Caylib Oosthuizen has a niggle that will restrain him to a bench role.
Ryno Benjamin reprises the somewhat unfamiliar number 12 role in an unchanged back division.
Toyota Cheetahs: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Ryno Benjamin, 11 Hennie Daniller, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Jean Cook, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Boom Prinsloo, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Maks van Dyk, 2 Adriaan Strauss (capt), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Reserves: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Rossouw de Klerk, 19 Andries Ferreira, 20 Oupa Mohoje, 21 Shaun Venter, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Howard Mnisi
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That is a big loss for the cheetahs.
@lostfish (Comment 1) : yeah, he’s a key player for them. He’ll miss the game against us now.
@lostfish (Comment 1) : Indeed! Wonder when Brussouw is back?
@vanmartin (Comment 3) : the Cheetahs style is to rush them back as soon as possible sometimes before they are ready, so could be sooner rather than later.
@vanmartin (Comment 3) : I htink they said he might play next week
@robdylan (Comment 2) : I can’t say I am sorry about that 😉
@lostfish (Comment 6) : To be honest I’m a little more worried about Brussouw playing against us. He seems to save his best for Sharks games.
@vanmartin (Comment 7) : I always get the feeling that most teams / players save their best games for us.
Cheetahs will miss him. He’s been a huge players for them.
@lostfish (Comment 8) : Perhaps I’m just overly paranoid but I swear it always felt like Heinrich Brussouw and Gerhard van den Heever had blinders against the Sharks. Their form would be terrible in other games but they seem to relish punishing us.
@vanmartin (Comment 10) : If they announced Juan Smith coming back to the tsietas, I’d be panicking…
…he was the difference in all the games they managed to beat our boys. Since his injuries and subsequent departure, they’ve had far less success against the Sharks.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) : Really miss seeing him on the field. What a player he was in his prime!
Glad to see Oupa Mahoje in the team, he has a bit of Juan Smith in him.
@vanmartin (Comment 12) : He’s doing well with Toulon (or is it Toulose – the one Bakkies plays for)….and earning the big moula.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : it’s Toulon
@Mpandla (Comment 13) : jeez, I hope his dad doesn’t know… 🙂
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : One of the key things is that he isn’t being overplayed and he is allowed to concentrate on just his job instead of having to carry his team. It was the same for Wilko, injury prone at Newcastle and then comes out and strings more than 3 games together at Toulon where he didn’t have to try to carry his team.
@lostfish (Comment 17) : That’s a really interesting insight.
@lostfish (Comment 17) : That is an interesting angle on his injuries….
When we look at players with long term injuries this year (off the top of my head), it seems as though it’s mostly players in some form of leadership role or players of whom a lot is expected.
We can take it even another step further, and start to consider how much the psychology of a player influences their chances for injury.