Cheetahs v Waratahs: Teams

The Waratahs, with four losses from their last six games, will resume their faltering campaign on Friday against the Cheetahs at Vodacom Park.

In the past three weeks the Cheetahs have beaten both the previous table-topping Sharks and an apparently resurgent Crusaders team at their Bloemfontein base.

In between victories they held their own for large periods of the eventual 28-10 loss to the Chiefs in Round Ten action, but despite the two timely wins - the Cheetahs are still in last place on the Super 14 points table.

The Cheetahs will almost certainly collect the dreaded wooden spoon at season's end but the men in orange have turned the competition on its head in recent weeks. They showed tremendous spirit to hold out the Crusaders and will take some beating at home this weekend.

The Waratahs enter their grueling three-match tour of South Africa on the back of consecutive losses to the Bulls and Force, and now need three wins to scrape into the semis.

Based on form alone it's hard to see them achieving that feat. However, the decision to insert Kurtley Beale as a second playmaker is a positive sign the Waratahs coaching staff is finally prepared to let the backs throw the ball instead of mindlessly bashing the ball up the centre of the field before dropping it.

The Cheetahs, apart from the obvious confidence gained by beating the Kiwi outfit last week, will be further buoyed by the fact that the Waratahs have never beaten the Cheetahs on South African soil.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Corné Uys/Piet van Zyl, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Hendro Scholtz, 7 Juan Smith (c), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Kobus Calldo, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.

Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 WP Nel, 18 Nico Breedt, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Piet van Zyl/JW Jonker, 22 Fabian Juries.

Waratahs: 15 Lachie Turner, 14 Peter Playford, 13 Timana Tahu, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Ben Mowen, 5 Will Caldwell, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.

Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Chris Thomson, 19 Luke Doherty, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Sam Norton-Knight, 22 Tom Carter.