Cheetahs to stop 'building' and start winning

Speaking to rugby365 ahead of his team's Round 12 encounter with the Southern Kings – in Bloemfontein on Saturday – Smith admitted that winning is becoming increasingly important for his team.

All season long, which saw them record just two wins (both against the Sunwolves) in 10 starts, Smith made it clear his team of rookies was on a steep learning curve.

However, his approach this the encounter with the Kings – whose only win was also against the Sunwolves – is very different from the more tolerable attitude he had before.

"We have stopped using the word 'build'," Smith said.

"We have to start improving. Ten games are enough for everybody to understand what it is all about."

The Cheetahs mentor said that every week his team has created more opportunities than the opposition, but they simply failed to finish of those.

"If you don't use it [your opportunities] and they use it, it becomes a 14-point swing," he told rugby365.

"The big difference between Super Rugby and Currie Cup is that at Currie Cup level there are more opportunities and you don't get punished so severely.

"At this level the opposition are far better at using their opportunities."

Smith said they are not looking at Saturday's outing as an encounter with the Kings, but rather a game where they must improve their own game.

"It is great to be back home after three weeks on the road," he said of his team's winless tour to Australia.

"We all agree that we must start winning from here on.

"We have played to win in every game, but it is crucial that we start finishing off those opportunities we create."

By Jan de Koning

@King365ed

@rugby365com