CHEETAHS coach Franco Smith faces the kind of selection dilemma that will make him the envy of most of his Currie Cup counterparts.<\/p>\n
He has to decide on a playmaker for Saturday\u2019s Currie Cup-opener against the Blue Bulls in Bloemfontein and he has four flyhalves who all stake a decent claim for a starting spot.<\/p>\n
Although Joe Pietersen has crossed the Malutis to the Natal Sharks\u201a Smith has to weigh up the credentials of Sias Ebersohn\u201a Fred Zeilinga\u201a Willie du Plessis and Niel Marais for Saturday\u2019s clash.<\/p>\n
Ebersohn is back from Perth where he represented the Western Force with mixed success\u201a Zeilinga crossed the Malutis in the other direction\u201a Du Plessis featured in last year\u2019s Currie Cup\u201a while Marais made the considerable jump from Varsity Cup to Super Rugby earlier this season.<\/p>\n
Should Smith opt for experience\u201a Ebersohn will more than likely get the nod. Zeilinga holds the promise of conjuring opportunity from nothing\u201a as does Marais with an unlikely frame\u201a while Du Plessis is a man for the averages.<\/p>\n
The competition among the loose forwards will be equally fierce with Boom Prinsloo\u201a Niell Jordaan\u201a Henco Venter\u201a Tienie Burger and Jean Cook contesting the three positions.<\/p>\n
Prinsloo will almost certainly play given his successful Super Rugby campaign in which he scored the most tries by a South African.<\/p>\n
Burger\u2019s stock soared after he had to replace the injured Heinrich Br\u00fcssow in Super Rugby\u201a while Cook has looked impressive when he hasn\u2019t been dogged by injury.<\/p>\n
The most likely formation should see Burger and Prinsloo pack down on the side of the scrum with Cook starting at No 8.<\/p>\n
In that event\u201a what the Cheetahs may lack in height at the lineout they will gain in speed to the breakdown\u201a which will be the life blood of the quick-paced game they are likely to play in this campaign.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere\u201a wing Sergeal Petersen is still on the injured list with a troublesome ankle and is unlikely to feature this weekend\u201a but prop BG Uys may make his return from injury.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile\u201a the Bulls will be without flank Arno Botha for the opening month of the competition.<\/p>\n
Botha did himself another mischief by suffering a medial meniscal tear in his knee\u201a but Lappies Labuschagne\u201a Jurgen Visser and Roelof Smit should be eligible for selection having recovered from injury and illness. – The Times<\/p>\n
Source: RDM News Wire.<\/p>\n