Highlanders v Cheetahs: Teams

Jamie Mackintosh's return is the most welcome of a host of injury returnees to the Highlanders for their game against the Cheetahs on Saturday.

Mackintosh returns from a knee injury but will only taste action from the bench, as will winger Lucky Mulipola who has not seen Super 14 action since breaking an arm last year.

After two weeks of appearing off the bench, lock Tom Donnelly makes his first start, replacing Hayden Triggs.

There are two other changes to the starting pack who lost 14-10 to the Chiefs in Invercargill last week, with George Naoupu coming back in for Steven Setephano at number eight and Alando Soakai replacing Tim Boys on the openside flank.

The most significant change is the introduction of Hawke's Bay pivot Matt Berquist, moving Daniel Bowden to twelve and pushing Johnny Leota to the bench.

Kendrick Lynn also replaces wing Fetu'u Vainikolo, who is rested.

Springbok wing Jongi Nokwe has been axed from the Cheetahs team travelling to Dunedin.

South African sevens star Fabian Juries replaces Nokwe on the left wing in one of two changes to the side that was hammered 46-12 by the Blues in Albany last weekend.

The other change is the inclusion of 23-year-old Francois Uys on the flank, with Wayne van Heerden moving in to lock and Nico Breedt to the reseve bench.

The Cheetahs are the only winless team in the competition and on Saturday complete the sixth and final match of a torturous tour with which they started their season.

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Jason Shoemark, 12 Daniel Bowden, 11 Kendrick Lynn, 10 Matthew Berquist, 9 Jimmy Cowan (C), 8 George Naoupu, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 David Hall, 1 Chris King.
Replacements: 16 Jason Rutledge, 17 Jamie Mackintosh, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 Steven Setephano, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Johnny Leota, 22 Lucky Mulipola.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Corne Uys, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Fabian Juries, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Hendro Scholtz (captain), 7 Francois Uys, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Bees Roux, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Kobus Calldo, 18 Nico Breedt, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Hanno Coetzee.