Cheetah4eva
The good news is the probable return from injury of some stalwarts for the Free State Cheetahs.
Naka Drotske and Hawies Fourie have reshuffled the backline to lend more impetus on attack. The most meaningful change is the return to the flyhalf berth for Sias Ebersohn.
The silly season is truly upon us, with players moving like pieces on a chess board. Promising young Bulls tighthead prop, Rossouw de Klerk will join the Toyota Free State Cheetahs for 2 years, at the end of the current Currie Cup competition. The loss of de Klerk is likely to be offset, by the Bulls signing of young Marcel van der Merwe. Apparently Rayno Gerber was also attempting to get onto the the Cheetahs player list. Naka has signed Ross Geldenhuys, and Pieter Stemmet, to cover the departure of WP Nel, but they have been signed fr the CC only thus far.
Naka Drotske continues to blood young players and is clearly not afraid to back them, but his latest selection is sure to have caught most pundits unawares.
Naka has selected Junior Bok flyer, Raymond Rhule, on the wing. Rhule announced himself in spectacular fashion vs Argentina in the Junior Boks semi-final of the Junior World Championships, scoring two tries. He has carried that form into the Under 21 Currie Cup, and has obviously impressed Naka sufficiently for him to get the nod.
The team shows a number of changes, due to injuries and Bok commitments, but it is an exciting team regardless. Naka hasn’t announced his replacements yet, as he awaits the results of a scan on lock Andries Ferreira.
In a major boost for Cheetahs Rugby, high profile stalwarts of the Cheetahs have committed themselves to the Cheetahs till the end of 2014.
Looking at the Toyota Cheetahs website, my eye caught some interesting names listed under their Currie Cup Squad for 2012.
The team to tackle the Cardiff Blues, on 4 August 2012, in honour of Grey College founder Sir George Grey, and in the process to prepare for the Currie Cup of 2012 has been announced. According to the Volksblad, backline coach Hawies Fourie, is using the match to decide on who his 1st choice inside centre should be.
In what is regarded as an significant coup for Cheetahs rugby, Volksblad reported this morning that it is confirmed that Johann Sadie, the promising WP star, who joined the Bulls earlier this, is heading to Bloemfontein to join the Cheetahs. It is believed that he will flourish in the Cheetahs playing pattern. Lack of game time, and a host of other players in the center position at the Bulls led to the players frustration.
Whilst the Cheetahs are not involved in further participation of the Super 15, some interesting players signings bode well for the Cheetahs 2013 season. Of course more players will sign, and some will leave, but it is interesting to note the movements.
Naka has made some more changes to his team to play the SA Conference leading Stormers in Bloemfontein on Saturday at 15:00.
The Beeld reports that promising young lock Quinn Roux, has signed with Irish club Leinster.
Well now! Naka has sprung a surprise or two with his team named to tackle the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday, in a must win encounter. The Bulls need to win to stay in contention for the play-off’s and the Cheetahs could still mathematically (slight chance indeed) make the play-off’s. With Coenie Oosthuizen and Hennie Daniller out injured, a shuffle in the front row and some tweaks were expected, but Naka is showing that he isn’t afraid to innovate.
Naka Drotske has been a busy man, during the midyear test window. After giving past stalwart Kabamba Floors a lifeline, he has now also given robust flanker Frans Viljoen a new opportunity at the Cheetahs for the Currie Cup.
With Coenie Oosthuizen out injured, and Phillip van der Walt being rested, the chances are good that Marcel van der Merwe, who had a stellar Vodacom Cup tournament for the Cheetahs, and promising young flanker Lappies Labuschagne will get selected for the weekends clash with the Bulls.
According to reports in various newspapers, CJ Stander is heading to Munster, after the Currie Cup of 2012. The promising Bulls loose forward, and former Junior Bok captain, has decided not to renew his contract with the Bulls. CEO of the Bulls, Barend van Graan, admitted, that they simply couldn’t match the Munster offer.
The forgotten man of the Cheetahs is back!
Beeld and Die Burger report that Handre Pollard has indeed been snaffled up by the Bulls.
In addition, the contract was signed last year already!
So much for reports which intimated that his parents were still negotiating with various Unions.
This was indeed good succession planning by the Bulls, but where does it leave players like Louis Fouché, Tony Jantjies and Lionel Cronje?
The Junior Bok team to face England, in a must win encounter has been announced. Coach Dawie Theron, has taken a bold step, in retaining young pivot Pollard at 10.
Amidst the recent hype about players leaving the Cheetahs, and some people speculating about the reasons for it, Naka has just gone about his business, and bolstered his ranks. Loose forwards Lappies Labuschagne, and 7’s specialist Boom Prinsloo have both signed until the end of 2014. Both Boom and Lappies played with great success in last years Currie Cup, and together with Heinrich Brussow, Phillip van der Walt and hopefully Juan Smith, can again form a formidable loose trio.
A lot has been written, and debated about the Cheetahs progress, or perceived lack thereof. I took a cue from Naka Drotske, who professed his frustration, at losing players to richer overseas clubs. Many people have no idea of the unique challenges that face the Cheetahs. In this article I hope to give an insight and give our detractors a better understanding of the challenges faced by the Cheetahs Super Rugby Franchise.
The Cheetahs will play the Cardiff Blues in Bloemfontein, on the 4th August 2012. The match is in memory of Sir George Gray, who would have been 200 years old this year.
Hendrik Cronje, of the Volksblad reported, that the hottest young flyhalf prospect in SA for years has extended his contract with the Toyota Cheetahs until the end of 2014. This is a major coup for the Cheetahs, and it could have a positive spin-off.
In an exclusive interview with Volksblad’s Hendrik Cronjé, Juan Smith has announced his immediate withdrawal from all rugby for 2012, to fully recover from the injury that has sidelined him since the beginning of 2011. Juan has indicated that he hoped to return to the field of play vs the Lions on Saturday, but after 4 operations, he has still not recovered sufficiently!
Big prop Coenie Oosthuizen says, he aspires to trounce team mate Heinrich Brüssow, in terms of pilfering balls, at the rucks, and tackles.
The Toyota Cheetahs left on their overseas leg of this year’s Super Rugby season.
Naka Drotske has made a number of changes and today announced his side to face the Brumbies.
Hopefully this will ignite, what has been a lack lustre Cheetahs team, that will face up against the Brumbies at the Canberra Stadium in Canberra, on Saturday 10 March at 06:35 SA Time.
Naka Drotske has named his team to take on the Lions at Coca-Cola Park, in the Cheetahs season opener on Saturday at 19h00.
Naka has really raised the eyebrows with his team selections, and bold he certainly is!
Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen, has allegedly been involved in another scuffle at a club, Barba’s in Bloemfontein.
There were surprises aplenty as Naka Drotske announced his 30 man squad, for the 2012 Super Rugby tournament.
The biggest surprise will no doubt be the ommission of veteran stalwart Ryno Barnes, the Griquas hooker, he was surprisingly usurped by Hercu Liebenberg, younger brother of Stormers hooker, Tiaan.
Other surprise ommissions were Johan Wessels, with Justin Downey doing enough to get the nod. Riaan “True Blue” Smit, makes way for Boland import Willie le Roux, and not surprisingly, Phillip Burger makes way for Cameron Jacobs.
The Cheetahs will travel to Polokwane, to face an expected full strength Bulls team in the last warm-up.
The match take place on Saturday.
The Cheetahs will look to test a couple of players, who have played more of a role off the bench, as Naka and his merry men, fine tune their team.
This match will be televised on SuperSport, which is a step in the right direction after they got their priorities all wrong in broadcasting the Stormers vs Boland game, but failing to broadcast the much more meaningful warm-up matches between the Lions vs Stormers, and Cheetahs vs Stormers!
The Cheetahs played with fits and starts vs the Griffons. According to Jóhann Thormählen of Volksblad. Riaan Smit was one of the few players that impressed. Tries were scored by Phillip Snyman, Rayno Benjamin, and Jean Stemmet, scored in the first half, and Hercu Liebenberg, and Sias Ebersohn (2) in the second half.
The breakdowns were again a problem, as promising Cheetahs attacks were thwarted, when the ball was pilfered by the Griffons. The question of depth, particularly in the backline was answered, with all of the backline fringe players playing well.
Hopefully the next few weeks will bring clarity as to the composition of the SA Super 15 teams, as injuries to several frontline players already having a profound impact!
Go Cheeeetahs!!!!!!
In the left corner, wearing black trunks with orange trim…
… and in the right corner wearing a loin cloth and ostrich feathers…
The referee for this bout will be the circus clown SARU!!
In this final edition of the series of articles, dissecting the contenders for the Cheetahs squad, we are going to look at the players vying for the fullback berth. GBS has been putting the pressure on, for me to finish, in the vain hope that the Breezers, Guppies, Pink Nulle, and Kitties get their contenders on the table.
It is almost time, but still almost a month before the first salvos in this years Super Rugby competition gets fired.
Enough time methinks for these scribes to put fingers to keyboards!
Without further ado, here are the Cheetahs contenders for the Last Outpost:
As we continue to wait in anticipation of Super Rugby to start proper, here are the contenders for the glory boys out wide. Here I have a concern, with the players available. While all of them are speedsters, they aren’t in the same league as the likes of Guildford, and co. That said, they fit well into the Cheetahs pattern, where there is often space created out wide.
I see that most supporters believe that this is their teams year lol, normally this has been the sole preserve of the “Drizzlers” as GBS rfers to the Stormers.
Be it as it may, I am impatient for it all to start! Bring it on!!
Time running out for the opposition scribes to name their teams GBS? How about getting your slaves to work!
First my commiserations to all who suffered losses during the terrible floods in Limpopo, and Mpumalanga! The power of nature, though beautiful to behold, is humbling indeed. I hope that all affected, will soon have their lives returned to normal. Especially guys like Superbul in Hoedspruit.
In this, the penultimate article in the series that looks at contenders for the Cheetahs Super Rugby squad of 2012, I am going to look at the midfield. Things have been a tad quiet on Rugby-Talk. Come on people bring out the handbags!
Must say the Cheetahs seem to have more than useful cover in this position too.
Welcome back to some of the regulars, like sharky_forever, Loosehead and Lion4ever… and to Webmonster GBS, recover quickly! The excitement and anticipation is building as we near the practice runs. It is thus fitting, that we look at the position, in which we are all of a sudden blessed with numerous contenders for the Bok 10 jumper. The Cheetahs are very lucky to have some exciting players in this position. A welcome change indeed!
The Cheetahs have produced a number of Springboks in this position, and some, it could be argued should have gotten more chances to play. Guys like Jannie de Beer, that only played a handful of test matches could have contributed more. Ironically, the Cheetahs are the SA franchise with arguably the most talent and depth in the flyhalf channel heading into the 2012 Super Rugby Competition.
Morning Webmonster, minions, and my fellow Cheetah supporters. Now that we have the ground forces sorted, lets focus on the guys, that have to do something with the “pill” that has been fought for tooth and nail. Now last year, the Cheetahs cut loose, and ran many a team ragged. Can they continue in similiar vein, and simultaneously close the “revolving door” that they dished up as their defence at times. To lose 7 matches, in last years Super 15, by 7 points or less, makes one wonder what could have been, had the defence been 20% better?
Today we look at the scrumhalf contenders. A position where the Cheetahs have had some colourful characters. Like Werner “Smiley” Swanepoel, and Michael Claasens.