Williams waiting in the wings

Springbok wing Chester Williams's hamstring injury incurred in Palmerston North during last Saturday's 29-23 Vodacom Cup Super 12 defeat is not as serious as first feared.

The Cats received the good news that he should be fit to be included in Saturday's starting lineup on their arrival back in Australia from two straight defeats against the Highlanders and the Hurricanes.

Having Williams against the galloping ACT Brumbies is a big plus; the 1995 World Cup stalwart wing showed some of his best form this year against the Hurricanes and adds massively to the Cats' core of much needed backline experience.

The Cats are the third SA squad in a row to strike the Brumbies after the Wallaby-studded Australian outfit have beaten both the Stormers and the Bulls on their SA tour, picking up an impressive nine out of ten points to climb up the Super 12 standings.

Before their departure the Brumbies' coach Eddie Jones said they had great respect for the Cats' forwards. "They will be hard to beat on the evidence of their last two matches in New Zealand and we are trying to stay very focused on what we have to do," he said.

Cats coach Laurie Mains isn't likely to tamper too much with the starting XV which did so well against the Hurricanes but he will have a medidcal roll-call before he names it. Springbok utility back Hennie le Roux was not considered for the last match because of flu and he may come back into the reckoning for the 22-man squad.

Mains believes that the Brumbies' return only four days before Saturday's clash is a factor in the Cats' favour. His squad lost their first tour match in Sydney against the Waratahs and Mains is expecting a much better performance at the Bruce Stadium.