Baby Bok the Cheetahs bolter

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has named Baby Bok wing Raymond Rhule in the starting line-up for their opening Currie Cup clash with the Lions this weekend.

The 19-year-old Rhule scored two tries for the Baby Boks in their Junior World Championship semifinal victory over Argentina and has continued that form, scoring a hat-trick for the Cheetahs Under-21 side last week.

Outside centre Robert Ebersohn will captain the Bloemfontein side that is missing a few key players up front and shows six changes in total from the combination that went down to the Cardiff Blues in a friendly last week.

With flank Heinrich Brussow and lock Andries Ferreira sidelined through injury and Adriaan Strauss on Springbok duty coach Naka Drotske has had to call on a few reserve stocks.

Sevens Springbok Boom Prinsloo, who usually plays at No.8, will replace Brussow at openside flank whilst Waltie Vermeulen steps in for Ferreira in the second row and Hercu Liebenberg gets an opportunity to start in Strauss' absence.

Drotske will confirm his replacement bench once Ferreira has had a scan on his knee.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Nico Scheepers, 13 Robert Ebersohn (captain), 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Riaan Smit, 9 Pieter van Zyl, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Lappies Labuschagné, 6 Boom Prinsloo, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Waltie Vermeulen, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Hercu Liebenberg, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Replacements: TBC

Date: Saturday, August 11

Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg

Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)

Referee: Marius Jonker

Assistant referees: Joey Salmans, Cobus Wessels