Cheetahs drop a Springbok
Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:54
Pep talk: Ashley Johnson and David de Villiers of the Cheetahs
Springbok tourist Ashley Johnson has been left out of the Cheetahs starting line-up and will sit on the bench when the team travels to Durban to face the Sharks in a Super 14 Round Two match on Friday.
Johnson makes way for the inclusion of Frans Viljoen, who will start at No.8, together with Springboks Juan Smith and Heinrich Brussow making up a formidable loose trio.
As expected Lionel Mapoe shift from the wing to outside centre in place of the injured Corne Uys, with Danwel Demas starting on the right wing.
The only other change to the side that did duty against the Bulls sees Hennie Daniller climb onto the bench to fill the gap left by Demas.
While the axing of Johnson will raise some eyebrows, the burly loose forward has not been able to reproduce the form that saw him earn a Player of the Month award in the Currie Cup last year and a call-up to the Bok squad for the year-end tour.
In fact he was replaced relatively early in the Cheetahs' 34-51 First Round loss to the Bulls in Pretoria last week.
The decision to shift Mapoe to outside centre, albeit necessitated by injuiry, is something Cheetahs backline coach Hawies Fourie has been contemplating for some time.
He wanted to use Mapoe at centre in a pre-season trial match, telling rugby365.com that he felt the Super Rugby rookie has all the makings of a great No.13 - despite playing most of his rugby on the wing.
The former Bok Sevens star, who also earned a Player of the Month award in 2009, was regarded as very unlucky not have received a call-up for the year-end tour.
Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Frans Viljoen, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Nico Breedt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie
Oosthuizen, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Ashley Johnson, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Hennie Daniller.
Date: Friday, February 19
Venue: Absa Stadium
Kick-off: 18:00 (16:00 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Pro Legoete (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
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