Cheetahs dare to believe as Griquas head to Bloem
REACTION: The table-topping Cheetahs are looking to raise the bar ahead of their central-unions crunch clash with Griquas in the penultimate round of the Currie Cup.
The Cheetahs cemented their place in first place with a commanding performance to defeat the Lions by 47-31 in Bloemfontein at the weekend.
This high-scoring encounter was a game of two distinct halves.
Having raced into a 26-0 lead, the Cheetahs allowed their Johannesburg-based rivals to close the gap to just two points (31-33) with just over 10 minutes remaining.
However, two late scores sealed the bonus-point win for the men from Bloemfontein.
“We were in control in the first half,” Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn said, adding: “It would be awesome if we can go 80 minutes like we did in the first half.
“Hopefully, the players now start to believe we can win this tournament.”
With two tricky league games remaining – a home encounter with central-unions neighbours Griquas on Friday, August 29, and an away game against the Bulls a week later – it is important that the Bloemfontein-based outfit builds on the progress they have made over the last four weeks.
Steyn said he was ‘proud’ of the fight his team showed to hold out the fast-charging Lions team in that second half.
“There is a lot we can still work on,” he said, adding: “The defence wasn’t good enough in the second half.
“We need to improve our defence ahead of next week’s encounter with Griquas.
“Our game is starting to come together.
“We just need to keep going and be better at it next week.”
Injuries continue to be a challenge for the Cheetahs’ resources.
There is now also concern about the fitness of James Verity-Amm (neck) and Louis Van der Westhuizen(calf), with the coach suggesting they could both be sidelined for six weeks.
Other players unavailable due to injury include Munier Hartzenberg (hamstring), Carl Wegner (hamstring), Johan Kelly Okonkwo (knee), George Lourens (hand/forearm), Dux Manyama (hamstring), Tielman Niewoudt (back), Pieter Janse van Vuren (hamstring), Tiaan Swanepoel (groin) and Ntokozo Makhaza (ankle).
“The positive is that we have rotated players in the early stages of the tournament, so we won’t have to rely on someone that has not played for six months.
“It is a challenge with continuity, but most of the players have had enough game time.”
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