Cheetahs lick wounds
20 Mar 2010
The Cheetahs suffered injuries to Frans Viljoen, Lionel Mapoe and Hendro Scholtz in their 21-8 defeat to the Stormers on Saturday.
Eighthman Viljoen (broken jaw) and wing Mapoe (shoulder) are expected to be out for six weeks, while Scholtz (ankle) could miss the Cheetahs clash with the Reds next weekend in Bloemfontein.
‘Frans and Lionel will have scans in Bloemfontein when we get back, but they will probably be out for a while,’ head coach Naka Drotske told keo.co.za. ‘Hendro’s injuries not too serious, so we hope he will be back in time next week.’
Meanwhile, Drotske said he was impressed with his team’s effort against the Stormers.
‘I don’t think we performed that poorly, we just lost to a very good side,’ said Drotske. ‘I was very happy with our defence. They had to work hard for their tries.
‘We also tried to expose them with a tactical kicking game. We understood that they are best defensive side in the competition, so we tried to get them in a one-on-one situation by kicking the ball into spaces. I believe that worked very well for us and we scored our try through a chip.
‘In the second half, we tried to run the ball through the phases. I think if we continued with our kicking plan, we would’ve scored one or two more tries.’
The Cheetahs host the Reds next weekend before they embark on their tour Down Under. Drotske said a win will be vital against the Queensland franchise.
‘We want to go on tour on a positive note. The Reds are a different team and have a poor away record. So we will look for a win against them,’ he said.
By Gareth Duncan
13 Comments
20 Mar 2010, 21:31 pm
Damn them cheetahs were tuff to crack!!
20 Mar 2010, 22:07 pm
Cheetahs kicked far too much possession away.Also should have taken penalties and put points on the board.
21 Mar 2010, 05:29 am
stormers should be upset they ddint get 4 tries
to many handling errors
21 Mar 2010, 06:39 am
@klippies101:
Yeas and no – I think the Cheetahs are a vry good side this year and anybody who runs onto the field against them thinking bonus will most likely get 1 if they’re lucky (for losing within seven!)
21 Mar 2010, 08:35 am
pity about the injuries. the tour will be hard enough without having their depth tested.
21 Mar 2010, 08:59 am
usually we’re the ones getting injured… but so far it’s Jimmy Cowan, Corry Jane, Frans Viljoen, Lionel Mapoe and Hendro Scholtz… who’s next?
21 Mar 2010, 09:06 am
bring on the Johnson Dragon
VIljoen is always getting crocekd man. wasnt he cricked for the currie cup as well, or was Johnson keeping him benched?
21 Mar 2010, 09:14 am
@SpringbokSarah: you are evil!
21 Mar 2010, 09:22 am
@RedLion: I know hey! Lol beneath my hair… tiny little horns
21 Mar 2010, 10:33 am
First of all, congrats to the Stormers on a very good game. I have been impressed by their all-round performance by back and the pack. All the concerns about De Jongh and Grant not playing were all un-needed as Whitehead and De Waal slotted in like they have been playing there all year. And, on the idea that De Waal is only able to kick, I thought he send his backline away brilliantly and Jacque Fourie has not seen so much of the ball in one game!
Cheetahs have improved 110% in their defensive efford if you compared to the team that made their debut in Super rugby a few seasons ago. Still lacking the sting on attack, which is compromised further by injuries to Brussouw and (now) Mapoe. Olivier is also not the complete package and it would have been great to still have the services of J-L Potgieter (I wonder if her regrets his decision becoming a Bull Bench-warmer?). Injuries are always unfortunate for a team with limitted depth, but it is impossible to not consider future injuries at the start of the season as we know they will come.
The Reds will be a very tough component next weekend, especially without the injured losies and Mapoe. Wil be interesting to see how that will be dealt with and if the naughty Viljoen (Riaan) might be tried on the wing to have that extra kicking option. Unlikely as Delmas is the more likely choice, but still worth considering. It is however imperative for the Cheetahs to get the red scalp before setting off on tour in order to not fall into the historic downward spiral.
21 Mar 2010, 12:05 pm
So much for Lionel “1.4 million” Mapoe.
21 Mar 2010, 17:57 pm
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ROAR …®
22 Mar 2010, 10:28 am
@Papoose: No, Viljoen was playing at 7 while Juan wasn’t playing. Viljoen is actually a no7, and Johnson the first choice 8, but with Johnson in such bad form the first 2 games, he got dropped. It sounds like Ashley regained some form in the Vodacom Cup. Let’s see.
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