Coenie Oosthuizen has been ruled out of the Cheetahs' match against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The tighthead prop has a back injury and is replaced in the starting XV with Maks van Dyk.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has therefore had to make five injury-enforced changes for the game. 

Danie Minnie replaces BG Uys (back injury) at loosehead prop and Tienie Burger comes in for Heinrich Brüssow (broken arm) on the openside flank.

With Willie le Roux and Coenie van Wyk having been ruled out because of ankle injuries, Joe Pietersen moves from flyhalf to fullback, with Willie du Plessis starting at 10.

Cheetahs – 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Francois Venter, 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.
Subs: 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.

Photo: Gerhard Steenkamp/BackpagePix