Cheetahs 'nowhere near good enough'
Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss said his team will have to take a long, hard look at themselves after their latest defeat.
The Cheetahs, after fighting back hard and working their way into the lead, dropped of the pace to slump to a miserable 31-52 loss to the Crusaders in Bloemfontein at the weekend.
And the skipper, Strauss, struggled to find anything positive to say about his team.
It all was just too similar to the Chiefs game last week, where the Cheetahs also failed to close the game in the second half.
"We were in it at times, but our performance was nowhere near good enough," Strauss said after the game at the Free State Stadium.
"Our own discipline and our structures where left wanting.
"Going into a line-out without having a call, kicking plays that we don't use optimally.
"That put us under immense pressure and then we scrambled. And then you are in your own half against the Crusaders and they will always capitalise on that.
"We need to make a step up in our discipline and our own structures."
Strauss added that his outfit would have to return to the drawing-board, where plenty of work lay ahead for the Free Staters – who now sit fourth in the South African conference after eight games, three points ahead of the bottom-placed Stormers.
"We take it week-by-week. We want to play good rugby and if we can, the results will follow," Strauss said.
"At the moment we aren't where we want to be.
"We need to have a look at ourselves and work hard.
"We are still positive and there is no need to panic. We will be back next weekend against the Sharks."
SAPA
