The Cheetahs’ penchant for all-out attack has the heroic Crusaders worried about this weekend’s Super Rugby assignment in Bloemfontein.
What looked like a match featuring two teams from different spectrums of the championship has suddenly been transformed by the Cheetahs’ results over the last phase of the competition.
They have piled on the tries in high-scoring affairs, netting 12 championship points out of a possible 15 over the last three weeks.
After being edged 50-47 by the Hurricanes, the Cheetahs have thumped the Brumbies 47-36 and the Lions 53-19.
The confidence they gained from their tour of Australia and New Zealand has flowed into their game back in South Africa. They are now snapping at the heels of the Bulls in their conference and have risen to ninth on the overall table.
“Wary of the Cheetahs? Absolutely,” Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said.
“I’ve been watching them over the last three weeks… the amount of points they can score is unbelievable.
“They look like they’ve thrown the book away and are just going for all-out attack. They’ve been playing very well at home and we’ll have to prepare really well.”
Having claimed a remarkable win over the Stormers despite being hit by a series of injuries during the match, the Crusaders have to refocus for a dangerous assignment at altitude.
They will be hoping superstars Richie McCaw and Dan Carter will be fit to bolster the side.
The Crusaders are keeping in touch with the table-topping Blues in the New Zealand conference. They face a tough home stretch after this with three of their four remaining games Kiwi derbies with the other fixture a clash with the Reds in Brisbane.
“It’s tough on the road. It is critical at this stage of the competition that you don’t let people get too ahead.
“It just creates more pressure, more anxiety. You’re also forced to play your best team week in and week out.”
That won’t be the case this weekend with Sean Maitland, Adam Whitelock, Israel Dagg, Khan Fotuali’i all having been sent back to New Zealand after the bruising win over the Stormers.
The Crusaders’ desperate defence was outstanding in Cape Town but it could be stretched even further by the Cheetahs have been throwing the ball wide and causing havoc around livewire halfback Sarel Pretorious.
The Cheetahs have a history of troubling the Crusaders in Bloemfontein – they won 20-13 in 2009.
And if you believe this then you also believe in the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and that Mugabe won the elections fair and square.
@ Loosehead:
Hey what you mean , i am a believer.
Watch the Cheetahs running circles around SBW and watch Brussow teaching Richy a lesson.
I just hope the Cheetahs dont change their game plan, this might just be the game of the weekend. Although the Blue/Red game will be one to watch.
cheetahs by 15 points
@ superBul:I had to buy my own Easter Egg.
VRYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT
Agree with Supa and Smallies. Cheetahs can do this if they maintain their focus and intensity. The defence on Saturday was way better, and the attack was still firing. The Crusaders team is a good one, but we have beaten them before with Carter and Mc Caw playing, and we can do it again!! Crusaders have quitea few injured players, and the disruptions will not help. Cheetahs have run all the other NZ teams very close. Within 7 of the Blues in Auckland, within 3 against the Highlanders in Ivercargil, and a silly loss by 3 to the ‘Canes in Bloem!
The thing to remember is that whilst the forward on both sides are fairly settled, the Crusaders backs have been severly disrupted. That can open gaps for the Cheetahs!!
A new halfback combo for the Saders. Dan the man hasn’t played on tour yet, and they have a new scrummie, to start. The wings, and fullback have been replaced due to injury. Only SBW and Fruean remain, and really only SBW was hot!!
The Cheetah backline will be better with Geel running 12, and with Burger injured, it’s a blessing on defence!!
a backline of Pretorius, Sias, Barry geel, Magic Ebersohn, Viljoen, Benjamin, and Daniller, can cause damage. Robert’s tackling has been good, he goes low and hard, and then contests.
A surprise is quite possible!!
Go Cheetahs!!
Cheetahs flyhalf Sias Ebersohn has praised former Bok goalkicker Louis Koen for helping him improve this aspect of his game.
Now watch his kicking going for a pot of “stront”. maybe i am superstitious in this regard, but every time when a player comes out praising this and that guy they lose their kicking ability. Maybe it will be better to say hard work made me kick better. It is so stupid to say this coach said this and all of a sudden everything clicked.
It does not work that way, Naas will never coach kicking that way he always said he kicked for an hour or more after the team practice.
@ superBul:
Commented before i read the whole article , hahaha you fool. :blush:
Here is the secret-
Ebersohn said that he had opportunities to move elsewhere, but his patience of staying in Bloemfontein has been rewarded.
“I have given myself a chance to play for four years now, but I was constantly told that my goalkicking is not good enough. That is why I worked hard on my kicking and perhaps did not pay as much attention to other areas,” he said.
“Now that I am kicking better, it feels as if I’m generally making a bigger contribution and that is why my general play is better. I put my form down to patience and hard work.
“Louis taught me to approach every kick as a new one and that you cannot think about the previous ones you succeeded with.”
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