Cheetahs need more 'composure'

Free State Cheetahs captain Johannes Prinsloo said his side need to show more composure if they are to have a successful Currie Cup campaign.

The Cheetahs staved off a late fightback from the Golden Lions to come away with a fortuitous 30-29 victory in their Currie Cup opener at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The visitors scored four tries for a bonus point and a full-house of five that put them at the top of the standings, while the Lions had to be content with a single losing bonus point.

"We are extremely happy with the result," Prinsloo said of the one-point win.

"The Lions are always tough here at Ellis Park."

The Cheetahs' forwards made all the difference as they gave their backline ample go-forward ball to attack the line.

However, Prinsloo felt that they wasted a few chances by not keeping their composure.

"In the first half we got a bit panicky on attack and in the second half we were more composed," the Cheetahs skipper said.

"We just need to remain patient, retain the ball and the it will go well this season."

He admitted they were a bit worried at the end when the Lions launched a late raid after winning a tighthead in the scrum and came close to scoring the winning points.

"I'm just glad the guys managed to hold on," he said.

"Credit to the Lions, they played well and this is going to be a great Currie Cup competition."

Lions captain Derick Minnie expressed his disappointment in coming so close without getting the win.

"It is unfortunate, given how the guys came back in the second half," Minnie said.

"We just couldn't finish the opportunities we had, so it is very disappointing."

He felt the Cheetahs prevent the Lions from getting into the game with some good structured play in the first half.

"At half-time the guys came together and spoke about what we stand for," the Lions skipper said.

"It is only the beginning of the season and there is time to fix what we did wrong in this match."