Juan Smith will captain the Cheetahs just days after his dad’s funeral as the Cheetahs aim to win their first Super 14 game.

Smith’s inclusion is one of six changes and a positional switch to the Cheetahs’ line-up for Friday’s match against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

He joined up with his team-mates in New Zealand on Monday night. His father’s funeral was in Bloemfontein last Tuesday.

Smith would initially have missed the rest of the tour, but an ankle injury to lock Waltie Vermeulen prompted team management to call him up for the last tour game.

(more…)

Captain Juan Smith withdrew himself from the Cheetahs squad because of the passing of his father in Bloemfontein.

Smith’s father died in Bloemfontein late on Wednesday night after he was recovering from Rift Valley Fever, which he apparently contracted on his farm.

The setback comes just two days before Smith was due to return to the rugby field after missing the previous two matches to be at his father’s bedside. He flew earlier this week to Sydney to rejoin his team-mates after doctors told him his father was out of danger.

(more…)

Juan Smith did not partake in the Springbok training on Friday, which means that Schalk Burger will probably wear the no. 7 jersey against Wallabies in Perth next Saturday.

The Boks open the away leg of their Vodacom Tri-Nations campaign against the Wallabies at Subiaco Oval next Saturday, and coach Peter de Villiers has confirmed that Smith, who was in excellent form during the home leg of the Tri-Nations and is rated by many as the top blindside flanker in the world, is a doubtful starter.

“We will make a decision on whether Juan will play against Australia once we get to Perth on Tuesday,” said De Villiers at a press conference in Pretoria on Friday.

But observers at the training session said Smith looks most unlikely to play at this stage as he is not moving easily, and Burger looks set to come straight into his place as per the configurations at what was a physical contact session.

(more…)