Game is shown on FoxSport and starts at 11:00pm Perth time

Western Province will continue their quest to end a barren period without a major trophy in nine years when play host to Currie Cup specialists, the Free State Cheetahs, in their semifinal at Newlands on Saturday.

Both sides have secured six victories in the 12 Currie Cup games they have played against each other since 2005.

WP have won four of their last six games played at Newlands against the Cheetahs (they lost to Free State in Cape Town earlier this year), but the Bloemfontein-based side hold the advantage when it comes to their recent semifinal history.

The Cheetahs defeated WP during their last two visits to Newlands in play-off games in the Currie Cup. In 2004 they toppled the hosts 17-11, whilst in 2005 the Bloemfontein side recorded a 16-11 win.

Players to watch:

For Western Province: There are plenty of Springboks to choose from but the player who has been the most consistent this season is tough No.8 Duane Vermeulen. The centre pairing of Jean de Villiers and Juan de Jongh is a quality one and will be eager to run with ball in hand, as will pocket-rocket Gio Aplon who can create a try out of nothing. Wing Bryan Habana looked like a man with something to prove last week and is a renowned match-winner - who has played in many big matches in his time.

For the Cheetahs: Centre Mayer Bosman is having a fantastic season and will relish the challenge of taking on a couple of Boks in the WP midfield. The man the Cheetahs rely on heavily to lead them from the front is their captain Juan Smith - an inspiration to watch. Of course, the big men in the front row, WP Nel, Adriaan Strauss and Coenie Oosthuizen, will have an important job to put WP on the back foot and they have the muscle to do it.

Head to head: At the breakdown the battle between Schalk Burger and Francois Louw against Juan Smith and Ashley Johnson will be crucial in the overall contest. Another defining clash is at flyhalf where both Willem de Waal and Louis Strydom aren't the flashiest pivots, but they are reliable goalkickers who will need to hold their nerve - especially in a knockout game where a missed penalty could cost you the match.

Recent results:
2007: Cheetahs won 45-13, Bloemfontein
2007: WP won 34-20, Cape Town
2008: WP won 9-3, Cape Town
2008: WP won 35-17, Bloemfontein
2009: WP won 19-13, Cape Town
2009: Cheetahs won 33-31, Bloemfontein
2010: WP won 25-11, Bloemfontein
2010: Cheetahs won 29-24, Cape Town

iafrica.com Prediction: Western Province are desperate to end their losing run in Currie Cup semifinals and add some silverware to their cabinet in the process. But the Cheetahs know what it takes to be crowned champions and have the ability to upset anybody in a crunch match. One missed tackle or penalty could be the difference in what should be a tight affair. However, we think WP will use their home-ground advantage and with all their stars should just squeak through.

The teams:

Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 JD Moller.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Lionel Cronjé, 22 Paul Bosch.

Free State Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Philip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Corné Uys, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Tewis De Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Skipper Badenhorst, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Tertius Carse, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Riaan Smit.

Date: Saturday, October 16
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Expected weather: Slightly overcastand cool. High of 22°C, low of 13°C. A south easterly wind, but no chance of rain.
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Shaun Veldsman