The Cheetahs have made numerous changes to their side for the clash, mainly through necessity because of injury.

In the backline Dries Swanepoel and Louis Fouché each earn a start at the expense of Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Malcolm Jaer.

Upfront, Marnus van der Merwe, starts in the place of Joseph Dweba, while the fiery loose-forward, Jasper Wiese, runs out in the second-row, in what is an interesting move by the coach, Franco Smith.

Saturday’s game at the Sportsground in Galway kicks off at 19:30 (South African time).

Smith chats to William Davies of Galway Bay FM about the match and the remainder of their European excursion.

Connacht - 15 Darragh Leader, 14 Cian Kelleher, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Tom Daly, 11 Stephen Fitzgerald, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Caolin Blade, 8 Jarrad Butler (captain), 7 Colby Fainga’a, 6 Eoin McKeon, 5 James Cannon, 4 Ultan Dillane, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Denis Buckley.

Replacements - 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Peter McCabe, 18 Dominic Robertson-McCoy, 19 Cillian Gallagher, 20 Paul Boyle, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Conor Fitzgerald, 23 Kyle Godwin.

Toyota Cheetahs - 15 Louis Fouché, 14 William Small-Smith, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Nico Lee, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Gerhard Olivier, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Abongile Nonkontwana, 5 JP du Preez, 4 Jasper Wiese, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Charles Marais.

Replacements – 16 Reinach Venter, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Walt Steenkamp, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Tian Meyer, 23 Rudy Paige.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport