Ireland Sevens Olympian Zac Ward is pictured on the attack during Emerging Ireland's opening tour win over the Airlink Pumas ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
Backed by the home support, the Toyota Cheetahs stand between Emerging Ireland and a hat-trick of tour wins, as the 2024 Toyota Challenge comes to an exciting conclusion in Bloemfontein this evening (kick-off 7pm local time/6pm Irish time – live on irishrugby+).
Wednesday, October 9 –
TOYOTA CHEETAHS v EMERGING IRELAND, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein, 7pm local time/6pm Irish time (live on SuperSport Rugby/irishrugby+)
Team News: Leinster’s James Culhane will lead a much-changed Emerging Ireland team, as head coach Simon Easterby makes 11 personnel changes to the side that saw off the challenge of Western Force in last Sunday’s 29-24 win.
Culhane forms a new back row with Ulster’s Harry Sheridan and Cobh youngster Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement against the Force.
Last season’s Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 triumph over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Connacht’s Jack Aungier.
In the back-line, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half. The 21-year-old will be partnered by his Leinster team-mate Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacement last time out.
Connacht’s Hugh Gavin pairs up with Hugh Cooney in midfield, and Ulster triallist Zac Ward is part of an exciting back-tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor, at full-back, and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his Emerging Ireland debut. He has been brought onto the bench, alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started last weekend’s four-try victory.
Hadden’s provincial team-mate, Danny Sheahan, provides cover once more at hooker, while Ulster duo Scott Wilson and Jack Murphy, and Matthew Devine and Charlie Tector, are also included in the matchday squad.
Meanwhile, similar to Easterby and with the quick turnaround between matches, Toyota Cheetahs director of rugby Frans Steyn has made a dozen personnel changes to the team that ran out 45-21 winners over the NovaVit Griffons last weekend.
Winger Prince Nkabinde, the scorer of two tries against the Cheetahs’ Free State neighbours, is retained along with Carel-Jan Coetzee, who switches to inside centre, and Siskonke Vumazonke, the former South Africa Schools flanker and Grey College captain.
Michael Annies, Asanda Kunene, Munier Hartzenberg, and Ethan Wentzel return to the back-line having started last week’s 38-24 defeat to Western Force. Rewan Kruger, who was on loan at the Ospreys last year, features at scrum half.
The selected pack is the same as the one from the Force game apart from Siskonke Vumazonke’s inclusion in the number 7 jersey. Victor Sekekete, one of the players with two seasons of EPCR Challenge Cup experience, captains the Cheetahs from the second row.
Veteran ex-Toulouse prop Schalk Ferreira (40) made his debut for Western Force back in 2005, four months before Emerging Ireland loosehead Usanov was born! Ferreira’s front row colleague, Corné Fourie, played for Gloucester between 2019 and 2021.
The Cheetahs are gearing up for the start of a new EPCR Challenge Cup campaign in December. They were beaten semi-finalists in the recent Currie Cup, with out-half Wentzel scoring 58 points in six games. Ospreys signing Daniel Kasende was their leading try scorer with four.
TOYOTA CHEETAHS: Michael Annies; Prince Nkabinde, Munier Hartzenberg, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Asanda Kunene; Ethan Wentzel, Rewan Kruger; Schalk Ferreira, Corne Fourie, Robert Hunt, Carl Wegner, Victor Sekekete (capt), Gideon van der Merwe, Siskonke Vumazonke, Friedle Olivier.
Replacements: Marco Janse van Rensburg, Hencus van Wyk, Laurence Victor, Ulrich Stander, Neels Volschenk, Jandre Nel, George Lourens, Cohen Jasper.
EMERGING IRELAND: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster); Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster); Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht), Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht), Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster), Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster), James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt).
Replacements: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster), George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Matthew Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster), Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster).
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
Pre-Match Quotes – Simon Easterby (Emerging Ireland): “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week, and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part.
“To a man, each player has given his all so far, and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
“The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side, and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot.
“While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times.
“The action has come thick and fast, and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We’ll need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Cormac Izuchukwu (Emerging Ireland): “These trips are something special, to be honest. Being around people like Paulie (O’Connell), Simon Easterby, and stuff like that. They’re unbelievable coaches obviously, the best in the world.
“On this trip especially, it’s a much younger squad but lads have really, really stepped up. Even the coaching as well is a higher level above.
“Some of the young lads, as young as 19, 20, most lads in Academies, they’ve been playing unbelievable. It’s been a really short time from last Wednesday when we joined up.
“Every game has been going one level above, again and again. Hopefully on Wednesday we can get to that next level, the final level, and make it three from three.”
Pre-Match Links –
Emerging Ireland Try Highlights From Western Force Game
Emerging Ireland Squad Update As Three Players Return To Provincial Action
In Pics: Emerging Ireland Visit Heidedal Children’s Orphanage In Bloemfontein
Izuchukwu: It’s A Much Younger Squad, But Lads Have Really Stepped Up
Previous Meeting –
2022 Toyota Challenge: Toyota Cheetahs 14 Emerging Ireland 21, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
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