Cheetahs coach Franco Smith has named a starting lineup filled with Pro14 players for their Currie Cup clash with the Vodacom Bulls on Friday.

It will be the Cheetahs’ first match of the season against the Bulls, who already opened their campaign last weekend with a loss against Western Province.

The team, lead by scrumhalf Tian Meyer, features players who did regular time for the Bloemfontein-based outfit in the Pro14, such as top try-scorer Rabz Maxwane and prop Ox Nche.

There will also be returns to Loftus for Louis Fouche, William Small-Smith, Dries Swanepoel, Tian Schoeman and Abongile Nonkontwana, who all played for the Bulls before switching to the Cheetahs.

Cheetahs – 15 Louis Fouche, 14 William Small-Smith, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Dries Swanepoel, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Tian Meyer (c), 8 Henco Venter, 7 Abongile Nonkontwana, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Reinach Venter, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Gerhard Olivier, 22 Dian Badenhorst, 23 Darren Adonis.

Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images