Cheetahs target breakdown and forward dominance against Cardiff

The Toyota Cheetahs are aiming for a better performance at the breakdown and greater forward dominance on Saturday when they take on Cardiff Rugby in Wales on day two of the EPCR Challenge Cup.

During their match against Perpignan in Amsterdam this weekend, the Cheetahs managed to give up a lot of the ball and posted the best statistics in the competition in this area. However, they were less effective in securing their own ground ball, allowing the French Top 14 club to frequently jockey for possession.

Gideon van der Merwe – Morgan Piek

Forward play was undoubtedly the Cheetahs’ great strength this weekend, giving them considerable confidence ahead of the Cardiff match. With the Welsh side favoring a more structured game and there is potentially rain in the forecast, forward dominance will be crucial.

Cheetahs flanker Gideon van der Merwe, who had the second-most turnovers in the first round, told OFM Sport that improvements were needed.

“We were pretty good at troubleshooting, but on the other side we struggled with our own troubleshooting,” said the fiery flanker. “I think we can continue to work on our defensive breakdowns – they were good. But we need to focus more on our offensive breakdown. We are happy with the defensive side, but we will continue to build on that while improving our offense.

The old rugby adage goes: ‘The forwards win the game, the backs decide the margin’, and it’s something the Cheetahs pack take to heart. Van der Merwe added that they are proud to work hard as a unit and intend to continue working hard.

Oupa Mohoje and Victor Sekekete – Morgan Piek

“We are proud of our attacking group and coach Sakkie (Izak van der Westhuizen) is pushing us hard, which is a good thing,” Van der Merwe said. “The standards are high, so we always know we have to bring our A game. It’s encouraging to see that we can still dominate from the start in Europe, and we’re striving to maintain that momentum.

The Cheetahs will announce their team on Thursday at 3:00 p.m., with two tactical changes expected in a horses-for-course approach.

Saturday’s must-win match between Cardiff and the Cheetahs in the Welsh capital kicks off at 10:00 p.m.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport