Cheetahs v Pumas - Teams and prediction
PREVIEW: In Round Two of the Currie Cup, the Cheetahs will look to bounce back when they welcome the Pumas to the Free State Stadium on Friday evening.
The home side recently came off an agonising loss to the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington, conceding a late try to go down narrowly 35-37.
It was a sweet moment for former Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie, who won the Currie Cup with the Bloemfontein-based side before helping the Cavaliers earn promotion back into the oldest domestic competition through the SA Cup.
Cheetahs Director of Rugby Frans Steyn said, despite the disappointment of losing, he is still happy that his side kept on fighting until the end.
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“All of us have egos. Your ego gets bruised, you get emotional, and you say some stuff.
“But then you sit down and go through the game, you see the errors that shouldn’t have been made, which turned out to be costly.
“I had the conversation with the guys on Tuesday morning. When I took the [coaching] job, I said I wanted this place to be a happy place for them.
“I want to be honest with everybody and for us as a collective to give everything on the pitch for each other.
“If you go out and play just based on that, the guys will put everything out there.
“I’m not saying we didn’t make mistakes, or the plan didn’t work. Did we give everything in the plan? Yes, we did.
“I’m still very happy, we kept on fighting. I’m giving Boland credit for keeping the ball at the end for 10 minutes and not making a mistake. That’s awesome.
“Within that, there are a lot of improvements we can make and we will make. It’s small things, but effort-wise, I don’t have a problem.”
Steyn added that the focus is on themselves and the performance they must deliver, without dwelling too much on what the Pumas may bring.
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“We had a look at what the Pumas are doing, but like I said, we’re focussing on ourselves this weekend,” Steyn told @rugby365com.
“We’ve got a home game and we need to produce and put out a massive performance.”
The match is also a significant milestone for prop Cameron Dawson, who will run out for his 50th appearance in a Cheetahs jersey against his former team.
Dawson said that Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse will know his traits, but it shouldn’t be a big concern.
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“I think in the year I was there [at the Pumas], we did enough scrums for him [Jimmy Stonehouse] to know what’s coming.
“But tricks will only get you so far. On the day you still have to show up and make it work. You still have to go and man-up.”
Dawson added that it’s extra special to earn his 50th Cheetahs cap in Bloemfontein with the Bloemfontein-based side being his childhood team despite growing up in the Western Cape.
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“The sweet thing for me is that I’m earning my 50th cap at home with the Cheetahs.
“Growing up in Cape Town, I was one of the few kids who supported the Cheetahs.
“I think I’ve been in a couple of fights at school over rugby games, so it’s very special for me that it’s here.
“I’m very excited to run out for my 50th Cheetahs match.”
The Pumas opened their Currie Cup campaign with a hard-fought win over the Griquas in Mbombela.
Head coach Jimmy Stonehouse opted for consistency in his team selection, with the only changes in the starting line-up being Wian van Niekerk replacing the injured Clinton Swart.
The Pumas and Cheetahs have met this season during the SA Cup, where they defeated the Bloemfontein-based side 46 – 38 in a high-scoring and entertaining affair in Mbombela.
They will now have the challenge of replicating that result away from home and make it two wins from two for a solid start to the season.
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Cheetahs by five points
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 James Verity-Amm, 14 Banie Britz, 13 Marco Janse van Vuuren, 12 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 9 Jandre Nel, 8 Neels Volschenk, 7 Gideon van der Merwe, 6 Sasko Ndlovu , 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Pierre Uys Vuuren, 3 Frankie Dos Reis, 2 Vernon Paulo, 1 Cameron Dawson
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen , 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Aranos Coetzee, 19 Sisonke Vumazonke, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Franco Smith, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.
Pumas: 15 Tino Swanepoel, 14 Lindi Msenge, 13 Sango Xamlashle, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Darren Adonis, 10 Danrich Visagie, 9 Ross Braude (vice-captain), 8 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 7 Kwanda Dimaza, 6 Ntsika Fisante, 5 Jeandré Leonard, 4 Heinz Bertram, 3 Sampie Swiegers, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Etienne Janeke
Replacements: 16 Darnell Osuagwau, 17 Stephan de Jager, 18 Dewald Maritz, 19 JJ Scheepers, 20 Andre Fouché, 21 Ruwald van der Merwe, 22 Russwell Fredericks, 23 Stefan Coetzee
Date: Friday, August 1
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa), Daniel Canhenga (South Africa)
TMO: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
