Naka Drotské has retained the match 23 that beat the Sharks for the Cheetahs' last league match against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Heinrich Brüssow will undergo groin surgery this week, and thus won't be back to start on the openside flank. Torsten van Jaarsveld will front the Lions in a loose forward combination that includes Teboho Mohoje and Philip van der Walt.

The game will mark Johann Sadie's 50th Vodacom Super Rugby match. Sadie is one of several Cheetahs players, including Brüssow, who will link up with a Japanese club after the Super Rugby competition.

Cheetahs – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Ryno Benjamin, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Subs: 16 Caylib Oosthuizen, 17 Luan de Bruin, 18 Carl Wegner, 19 Jean Cook, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Shaun Venter, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Hennie Daniller.

Photo: Gerhard Steenkamp/BackpagePix