The Cheetahs have named their 'French recruit, 22-year-old Andries Ferreira, in the starting team to face the Stormers in a Super Rugby pre-season outing in Cape Town on Saturday.
Ferreira, a former South African Under-20 star, joined French giants Biarritz after the Varsity Cup last year. However, he returned to SA after just a brief stay, when his father became ill.
Upon his return he joined the Cheetahs and is now being touted as a solution to their lock poser - where depth seems to be the biggest problem.
He is primary a front-of-the-line-out jumper, where he will compete with Francois Uys and George Earl for a starting spot in the Cheetahs team.
The Cheetahs also received a timely boost with the news that veteran prop WP Nel has recovered from his off-season shoulder surgery and will start, while Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow has overcome a calf strain and will also feature against the Stormers.
While the Cheetahs will field an unchanged backline from that which faced the Kings last week, the pack shows four changes.
Apart from Ferreira coming in for Francois Uys at lock, and Nel starting at tighthead prop ahead of Trevor Nyakane, there is a reshuffle among the loose forwards.
Davon Raubenheimer moves from blindside flank to No.8, with Ashley Johnson dropping to the bench. Philip van der Walt starts at No.7.
* Meanwhile it has been revealed veteran scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn, who has been with French club Lyon on a three-month loan deal, will return home later this week.
He will feature in one of the two Cheetahs teams that tackle the Bulls next week - a B-Team game at Loftus Versfeld next Friday, or an A-Team game in Polokwane the next day.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Dusty Noble, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Philip van der Walt, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Replacements - from: Lourens Adriaanse, Ryno Barnes, George Earle, Ashley Johnson, Marnus Hugo, Sias Ebersohn, Willie le Roux, Philip Snyman, Ryno Benjamin, Francois Uys.
Date: Saturday, February 4
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Matt Kemp, Marc van Zyl
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