Skipper Juan Smith confident his young troops can cause a big upset.

On paper, Saturday’s Currie Cup semifinal between the Blue Bulls and the Free State Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld should be a no-contest.

The Bulls go into the match with nine Springboks in their starting XV while the defending champions have only five capped internationals and two Bok tourists. The Bulls should win.

But being underdogs is familiar to the Cheetahs so they won’t look across at the Bulls players and fear them or their reputations.

The current generation of Cheetahs understands what it takes to win the Currie Cup play-off matches after contesting the past three finals — twice against the Bulls.

The union can feel confident after three finals and three trophies [the 2006 title was shared], but the personnel involved in Saturday’s clash has changed immensely.

Not a single starting backline player from last year’s final is in the lineup for this year’s semifinal. Centre Meyer Bosman came off the bench last year and will start at inside centre on Saturday.

Among the forwards, only props Kobus Calldo and Wian du Preez and flank Duane Vermeulen started in 2007, while lock Barend Pieterse, and flanks Heinrich Brussow and Hendro Scholtz were on the bench.

Annual raids from bigger, richer unions and northern hemisphere clubs have decimated the Cheetahs, yet they continue to endure where big-spending unions such as Western Province fail.

Coach Naka Drotske can be proud of making the last four while rebuilding a team. He firmly believes the class of 2008 can emulate their predecessors.

“With all respect to the 2005 [squad which won Free State’s first Currie Cup in 29 years], I believe our current team has more talent,” Drotske said this week. “I’ve told the players that as well.”

Cheetahs skipper Juan Smith, one of the key men in Saturday’s battle, is confident that his young troops can cause a bigger upset than the Cheetahs did in 2005 at Loftus.

“The Bulls are without doubt a physical team, but if there is one team that can match them in that department, it’s Free State,” Smith said.

“In the past three years, we have met them in finals and semifinals and achieved success by taking the Bulls on physically.”

In an interesting selection, the Cheetahs have opted to use former Bok flank Kabamba Floors as a backline replacement for the match. Controversial utility back Hennie Daniller is on the bench.

Daniller was at the centre of a row between South Western Districts and the Griffons and Cheetahs after appearing for both unions at different times this season. Western Province also joined the fray arguing that Daniller was ineligible to play for the Cheetahs once he had been loaned to the Griffons. The complaint was dismissed.

Teams

Blue Bulls: Zane Kirchner, John Mametsa, Marius Delport, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Wikus van Heerden, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield (capt), Danie Rossouw, Rayno Gerber, Derick Kuün, Gurthrö Steenkamp. Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Werner Kruger, Juandré Kruger, Dewald Potgieter, Heini Adams, Burton Francis, Tiger Mangweni.

Cheetahs: Bevin Fortuin, JW Jonker, Robert Ebersohn, Meyer Bosman, Jongi Nokwe, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Tewis de Bruyn, Duane Vermeulen, Juan Smith (capt), Heinrich Brussow, Barend Pieterse, David de Villiers, Kobus Calldo, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez. Reserves: Richardt Strauss, Coenie Oosthuizen, Nico Breedt, Hendro Scholtz, Jandre Blom, Hennie Daniller, Kabamba Floors.

Craig Ray

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