After narrowly missing out on the Currie Cup finals last season due to a loss against the eventual winners, the Sharks, the Cheetahs will be looking to go all the way this year and improve on their 3rd position in 2013.
2014 Cheetahs Currie Cup Preview
With Rory Duncan, a former player, now appointed as head coach as well as the shock move of overlooking last year’s captain, number 8 Boom Prinsloo and instead going for Torsten van Jaarsveld as captain, the Cheetahs have a big season ahead to make the most of their current team before next seasons changes.
The Cheetahs will be relying heavily on a handful of experienced players who remain in the squad after the Springbok call up for the Rugby Championship and are one of the luckier squads when it comes to injuries, starting the tournament with just two players unavailable straight away. Both Coenie Oosthuizen and Caylib Oosthuizen are out with injuries.
However, the Cheetahs will have in the back of their minds the handful of very experienced and vital players to their set up departing the club at the end of the year to rival franchise teams. With names like Adriaan Strauss and Trevor Nyakane both heading to the Bulls, it is important for the Free State to capitalize on the stability they have now before the reshuffling begins.
If the Cheetahs are to have any chance taking the title this year, they are going to need to fix one of the biggest problems plaguing them. Despite playing quick rugby and scoring an abundance of points on a regular basis, the Cheetahs are as guilty on conceding points just as quickly. This will be a point Duncan will look to eradicate as he works on the defensive techniques of the Cheetahs just as much as the attacking.
There are talks that the Cheetahs will look to their franchise partners, Griquas, for new players once the places open but the Cheetahs have never lacked the fighting spirit and fast-paced rugby that has come to define them and with the new signings eventually coming, one can be certain the trend will continue.
Free State Cheetahs Team:
Dolph Botha, Laun de Bruin, Trevor Nyakane, Caylib Oosthuizen, Coenie Oosthuizen, Bees Roux, Kevin Stevens, Jacques du Toit, Hercu Liebenberg, Adriaan Strauss, Torsten van Jaarsveld (c), Neil Claassen, Lood de Jager, Francois Uys, Waltie Vermeulen, Carl Wegner, Tienie Burger, Peet Coetzee, Jean Cook, Vince Jobo, Lappies Labuschagne, Oupa Mohoje, Freddie Ngoza, Boom Prinsloo, Henco Venter, Renier Botha, Sarel Pretorius, Shaun Venter, Willie du Plessis, Verner Horn, Elgar Watts, Rayno Benjamin, JP du Plessis, Joubert Engelbrecht, Tertius Kruger, Nico Lee, Francois Venter, AJ Coertzen, Cornal Hendricks, Henry Immelman, Cameron Jacobs, Marco Mason, Raymond Rhule, Clayton Blommetjies, Willie le Roux
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