Burton Francis, the much travelled 26-year old Griquas flyhalf, will fly in to join the Toyota Cheetahs on their Australasian Tour to replace the injured Elgar Watts.
Francis recently joined Griquas after initially forming part of the Southern Kings wider training group in the pre-season.
Elgar Watts has injured his hamstring in Monday’s training and is scheduled to fly back to South Africa on Thursday.
The Toyota Cheetahs meet the defending Super Rugby champions on Saturday 2 March at 08:35 SA Time on thier first match of their away tour for 2013.
Burton Francis has played Super Rugby for the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and MTN Lions, trained with the Southern Kings and might make his 4th Super Rugby side if he gets to play for the Cheetahs on tour.
The reason Francis was drafted in is that the only other flyhalf currently available to the Toyota Cheetahs is Riaan Smit, who is actually more of a utility backline player than a frontline specialist flyhalf.
In the meantime, the Cheetahs have named their squad to face the Chiefs in this vital encounter, with only one change being made to the run-on side with Sarel Pretorius taking over from Piet van Zyl as starting scrumhalf. This means that Coenie Oosthuizen will continue to be eased back into Super Rugby, once again playing from the bench.
Toyota Cheetahs:
- Team: 15. Hennie Daniller, 14. Willie le Roux, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Robert Ebersohn, 11. Raymond Rhule, 10. Johan Goosen, 9. Sarel Pretorius, 8. Puilip van der Walt, 7. Lappies Labuschagne, 6. Frans Viljoen, 5. Francois Uys, 4. Lood de Jager, 3. Lourens Adriaanse, 2. Adriaan Strauss (Captain), 1. Trevor Nyakane
- Replacements: 16. Ryno Barnes, 17. Coenie Oosthuizen, 18. Ligtoring Landman, 19. Boom Prinsloo, 20. Piet van Zyl, 21. Riaan Smit, 22. Rayno Benjamin.
February 27th, 2013 at 11:47 SAST
Ai, dat niemand kan sien die ou Kameelperd, Francis, is NIE ‘n aanwins nie, is heel verby my.
Scraping the barrell early already, the Cheetahs.
February 27th, 2013 at 11:52 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
Sad, isn’t it?
February 27th, 2013 at 12:05 SAST
2 @ Loosehead:
Flok Loskoppie,
Why this Burton Francis dude… surely they could have flown in Hansie Graaff (unless he is injured).
It amazes me, what do people see in Burton Francis that I don’t or won’t or can’t?
February 27th, 2013 at 12:14 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
Hmmmm didn’t Francis also play fro the Bools?
Ja Nee kyk, the Teapot calling the Moerkoffiepot kleurling!!
Seriously! Naka should bring SpitGraaff in and slowly introduce him. The Graaff is going to rock!
February 27th, 2013 at 12:16 SAST
4 @ Cheetah4eva:
Of course Francis played for the Bulls… he was kak then too… and is even kakker now!
February 27th, 2013 at 12:18 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
I also think The Graaff is the better option. Unless Naka is going for experience in this instance, and looking to start introducing Graaff after the tour.
I heard Treu sent out feelers, but Naka turned him down, so he is clearly still in the mix.
February 27th, 2013 at 12:29 SAST
6 @ Cheetah4eva:
Maybe Hansie SkopGraaff is injured… because he would immediately have been a better option than Langnek Kameelperd!
February 27th, 2013 at 12:37 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
Nope, he is in the Griffons team for the VC. Coming back to Francis, you do know that you Bools couldn’t recognise an attacking flyhalf, even if he ran over you nê? Or unless he plays prop like Verbrokkel. I mean regtig, just see the immediate difference in Sadie!
February 27th, 2013 at 13:01 SAST
6 @ Cheetah4eva:
I certainly hope in light of that bit about Treu that you guys do use Graaff quite a bit otherwise its a shame on Drotske’s part to possibly deny the guy a chance to represent his country at 7s and then not really make use of him.
February 27th, 2013 at 13:55 SAST
8 @ Cheetah4eva:
What difference in Sadie? The Cheetahs HAVE to use him, no other great options.
Sadie was injured mostly at the Bulls, and would’nt have fitted in with the REAL CENTRES the Bulls now have.
I’m not even going to respond to the silly flyhalf quirp…. I don’t respond to nonsense.
February 27th, 2013 at 14:17 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
Suurknol! Well Sadie scored a nice try in his 1st match for the Cheetahs. Only centre you have currently better is Serfontein
February 27th, 2013 at 14:18 SAST
@ Bullscot:
I hope so too, Naka has always been amenable to helping the 7′s Boks, but they recently screwed him with Cornell Hendricks
February 27th, 2013 at 14:50 SAST
11 @ Cheetah4eva:
My vrou het nog nooit gekla dat my knol suur is nie!
February 27th, 2013 at 15:33 SAST
@ Cheetah4eva:
Look, he can kick, ala Bulls, but ala Bulls no 10′s he cannot spark creativity in the backline.
February 27th, 2013 at 16:04 SAST
@ Lion4ever:
GBS will cloud up and rain all over you!
February 27th, 2013 at 16:32 SAST
@ Cheetah4eva:
Not worried too much, as he thinks WO is a real center. A change in hair colour and cut don’t make you a better player.
February 27th, 2013 at 16:52 SAST
16 @ Lion4ever:
Compare the Lions Centres to old Meisiekind, then we talk…
Anyway, I was referring to outside centres, like Mapoe, Jan Serfontein…. hell even JJ Engelbrecht.
Think Sadie would have gotten game time at the Bulls? Think again.
February 27th, 2013 at 17:02 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
And you guys are loaning Mapoe?
February 27th, 2013 at 17:09 SAST
18 @ Lion4ever:
Exactly… do we then need Sadie?
Do we want Sadie?
No, to both!