Cheetahs value Challenge Cup despite Steyn's comments
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Ruben de Haas will be one of the stalwarts and experienced men in the Cheetahs side when they face Perpignan in their opening Challenge Cup clash against Perpignan on Sunday.
The USA scrumhalf has an instrumental role to play in terms of his experience. He recently still played in European conditions for his adopted country against Spain.
The Cheetahs arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday in preparation for their Challenge Cup clash with Perpignan, a team that has won four of their 11 outings in the Top 14.
The men from Bloemfontein advanced to the semifinal of the Currie Cup in September and they also won two of their four matches in the 2023/24 European competition before falling out against Clermont Auvergne in the Round of 16 in April this year.
The Cheetahs will play out of Amsterdam as one of the EPCR’s conditions for the Cheetahs’ participation as an invitee in the 2024/25 EPCR Challenge Cup was for the team to be based in Europe.
Rugby Netherlands arranged that the EPCR Challenge Cup match will take place at the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam.
Contrary to their Director of Rugby, Frans Steyn’s comments earlier in the week that he would prefer the Cheetahs to play Super Rugby, Free State Rugby said the comments “may have been misunderstood”.
“As a team, the Cheetahs are deeply grateful for the opportunity to compete in the EPCR Challenge Cup,” they stated.
“The comments in question were solely intended to highlight the challenges of competing away from home and were in no way a critique of the competition itself.
Cheetahs: 15 Michael Annies, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Ruben de Haas, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Friedle Olivier, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Pierre-Raymond Uys, 20 Oupa Mohoje, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Rewan Kruger, 23 George Lourens
Date: Sunday, December 8
Venue: NRCA Stadium, Amsterdam
Kick-off: 14.00 (15.00 SA time; 13.00 GMT)
Referee: Frederico Vedovelli (Italy)
Referee assistants: Alberto Favaro (Italy) & Manuel Bottino (Italy)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)
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