Bloemfontein – Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen has been ruled out of his side’s Super Rugby match against the Lions at Ellis Park.
In his place, Maks van Dyk moves from the bench to the starting XV. Ewald van der Westhuizen moves up to the match 23 in the replacements to provide cover.
The loss of Oosthuizen with a back injury means the Cheetahs will have made five changes to their side that lost 18-17 to the Reds at Free State Stadium last weekend.
Prop BG Uys is struggling with a back injury and has been ruled out for three weeks, and will be replaced by Danie Mienie with Caylib Oosthuizen coming in on the bench.
Following Heinrich Brussow breaking his arm against the Reds, Tienie Burger starts at flank. Carel Greef provides cover among the replacements.
Joe Pietersen shifts from number 10 to fullback after Coenie van Wyk also picked up an injury last week.
At flyhalf, Willie du Plessis comes in with Clayton Blommetjies on the bench.
This game will mark the 12th Super Rugby encounter between the two teams. The Lions are leading with six wins to the five victories of the Cheetahs.
It will also be the sixth time the teams meet at Ellis Park since the first Johannesburg encounter in 2007. Out of the five previous matches in Johannesburg, the Lions won three and the Cheetahs two games.
Cheetahs team: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Willie du Plessis, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Boom Prinsloo, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Maks van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveldt, 1 Danie Minnie
Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 19 Steven Sykes, 20 Carel Greeff, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Michael van der Spuy, 23 Clayton Blommetjies – ANA