‘We have a good match 22′
6 Jan 2011
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske on the upcoming Super Rugby season.
THE NEW SUPER RUGBY FORMAT
‘It’s a longer and tougher competition, so you will need depth, and that will make it difficult for us because we don’t have a big squad like most of the other teams. But we do have a good match 22 and the Griquas players help create more depth in certain positions. We’re looking forward to the new challenge.’
MORE LOCAL DERBIES
‘Playing the South African teams home and away will benefit us as we tend to do well against them. I’m not sure why but we struggle against the Australian and New Zealand teams.’
THEIR SCHEDULE
‘I would’ve preferred to have our first bye straight after our Australasian tour, but we can do nothing about the fixtures and have to make do with the cards we are dealt. We play a few South African games before we head off overseas in mid-March, so we will look for some good momentum in our opening matches before we tour.’
HIS IMPACT PLAYERS
‘Our Boks will be important for us; guys like [prop] Coenie Oosthuizen, [hooker] Adriaan Strauss and [flank] Juan Smith while we will also have [flank] Heinrich Brüssow back from injury. [Centre] Andries Strauss showed good form for the Sharks in the Currie Cup, especially in the final while we also made other good signings in [lock] Wilhelm Steenkamp, Ryno Benjamin and Philip Burger [both wings].’
THEIR HALFBACK COMBO
‘Sarel Pretorius and Naas Olivier should be our first-choice halfback combination as they complement our game plan. Sarel brings a new dimension on attack while Naas is steady and has been one of the form flyhalves in the country for the past two seasons.’
EARL ROSE
‘Earl has a point to prove. Hennie Daniller and Riaan Viljoen are the other fullbacks in the squad, while at flyhalf there’s Naas, Louis Strydom and Sias Ebersohn. Earl will have to work hard to prove he should be selected ahead of those players. The good thing about Earl is that he’s versatile. He can play at flyhalf, wing and fullback.’
– Read the full Cheetahs Super Rugby preview in the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine.
29 Comments
6 Jan 2011, 11:28 am
Optimistic Dragon?
6 Jan 2011, 12:05 pm
Walk the talk…
6 Jan 2011, 12:51 pm
Ah so Earl is back with the big dogs. Keo’s minions will be disappointed they won’t be able to keep going on about how no one in the Premier Division wants to sign him.
Bit concerning that Naka still has no idea why his team struggle against non-South African opposition. More of the same this season then?
6 Jan 2011, 12:56 pm
Every year they talk about how this is going to be their year and every year we’re disappointed.
Lions and Cheetahs it’s time to stop embarrassing South Africa.
6 Jan 2011, 13:50 pm
Rayno Benjamin…. Where would he playing if he was white….
What a joke
6 Jan 2011, 13:56 pm
well philip burger is just happy rayno wont be handing off three times on his way tot he tryline now that they are in the same team.
6 Jan 2011, 14:07 pm
I do think we have a better side in 2011, than we did in 2010. Our defence was shocking in 2010, and with Strauss and Ebersohn in the centers, we should stop that massive hole. Also having Brussouw and Juan Smith back, heats up the defensive effort.
On attack Phillip Burger will bring a lot. I dont see Benjamin getting a spot. Nokwe should easilly start ahead of him.
My main concern remains no 10. Naas Olivier is ok, but Louis and Sias suck. To play serious S14 you need a classy no 10.
Cheetahs will have gained from last year, and i think will be happy with a position in the Top 10.
6 Jan 2011, 14:08 pm
@rangerman(rangerman) : Remember – Phillip Burger scored two tries of his own in that game, and Free State won the match. A case of Rayno winning the battle, but The Burger King winning the war
6 Jan 2011, 14:09 pm
@Cheetah Champs(Cheetha Champs) : hiyas CC long time no see , and HNY to you mate ,hope you have a great year
As for the rugga?? again good luck hope cheetahs kick some *** , as long as it aint sharks ***
6 Jan 2011, 14:17 pm
@Cheetah Champs(Cheetha Champs) : haha, burger is a complete c ockhead who needs a swatting like any fly.
6 Jan 2011, 15:45 pm
@rangerman(rangerman) : Jip, but he is difficult to swat!! And he is a ******** who knows how to finish sublime tries!!
6 Jan 2011, 15:49 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover) : Same to you my mate. May 2011 be the year for South Africa in all possible tournies….
@rangerman(rangerman) : Ja boet, if he was playing for your side you would have loved him. If he was playing for the Bulls or Province i would have agreed with you, but he isnt, so i dont
6 Jan 2011, 16:00 pm
I think Cheetahs will struggle again with depth in what is now an EVEN longer competition. As soon as they get a few injuries they start to disintegrate, which is sad really but as in Formula 1 the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
6 Jan 2011, 19:13 pm
“I’m not sure why but we struggle against the Australian and New Zealand teams.”
This man simply knows too little to be a professional rugby coach. How can he not know why the Cheetahs struggle against Australian and New Zealand teams?
It’s simple. The Cheetahs usually have the the second worst defense in the competition, while the Australian and New Zealand teams have more dangerous backlines than the South African ones. Naka simply can’t put two and two together.
7 Jan 2011, 00:26 am
Good luck with Earl, quality signing Naka
7 Jan 2011, 00:33 am
We have a good match 22, very happy to hear that Naka. Pity we still stuck with the same old kuk coach hey!
Coherence, you are spot on, Harold’s old love child just don’t cut it…
7 Jan 2011, 03:05 am
All over…
84.4 Tremlett to Beer, OUT, that’s it! That’s the moment! England have ended 24 years of pain in Australia with a comprehensive 3-1 victory! Tremlett is the man to finish it off, hammering it down on a length, finding an inside edge that cannoned onto the stumps to cue wild celebrations!
Innings and 83 runs…
7 Jan 2011, 03:33 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast) :
And a good thing too
Pity about the flowers back in Africa!
7 Jan 2011, 03:42 am
@whatever(whatever) :
Yip, three innings defeats and a job well done!
Yeah, petered out to nothing in the end…
7 Jan 2011, 05:26 am
Signing Rose with Riaan Viljoen in the side… what a joke… unless his Uncle Snor paid them to take him?
7 Jan 2011, 05:28 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz) :
Oops and Daniller, one of the most under-rated 15′s in RSA…
7 Jan 2011, 05:33 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz) :
Bryce, to Naka’s credit
I am not sure this article is painting the correct picture. Rose signed for Griekwas and unless something changed he does NOT form part of the super squad…or at most he is part of a very much extended squad at the moment. I suspect the above response from Naka is based on a direct question about Rose, he is probably trying to say if Rose wants to play a part he will have to WORK his way into it…
7 Jan 2011, 05:35 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz) :
Daniller is solid and nothing more…but like I said above, we will go nowhere until they replace the president…err I mean coach!
7 Jan 2011, 05:55 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast) :
Quick, strong, excellent under the high ball, huge boot, brutal defender… very good S14 stats 2010 for a 15… Viljoen would probably just get the nod over him for mine… depending on the rest of the backline’s make-up…
No you’re right about Verster… he’s the quintessential old school dinosaur… his ignorance has lost many a player… and the union is fiscally in a shambles…
As for the coach… the Cheetahs moved up a few places on the S14 ladder from 2009 beating some quality sides for once… and this with their injuries… so I wouldn’t be so quick to jump on his back quite yet…
He’s right too… the team with the best depth inevitably ends up top of the table… one of the Bull’s strengths…
7 Jan 2011, 06:10 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz) :
I agree about Viljoen and I am not saying Daniller is poor, he just do not excite me as a fullback. His defence can be fragile at times but overall he is solid as I said.
Verster must be close to a 100 now and he has been costing the union money for at least 15 years now. The old **** won’t go anywhere though and he does know how to look after his cronies…Naka included.
Cheetahs played some excellent rugby at times, my problem with Naka is that he has been around for a few years now and the team has grown very little. One off crash ball runners with the odd maul set up in midfield does not inspire many. Besides his poor selection at times, clinging to Tewis when he was so obviously out of form just one example…
7 Jan 2011, 12:29 pm
Ek is so gatvol om die selfde stront oor en oor te ****! Hierdie span gaan nerens nie. Useless klomp donners, die julle lot van hulle!
7 Jan 2011, 15:25 pm
@passdidonnerseding(passdidonnerseding) : you have issues!!! Get help!!
8 Jan 2011, 15:49 pm
As long as Rose plays against the Bulls, I’ll be happy. 5 Points on a plate!
11 Jan 2011, 00:18 am
Bloemfontein – With only a month left to the start of the Super 15 series, the Cheetahs are still without a main sponsor after Vodacom ended its sponsorship of the central district’s team last year.
But Harold Verster, president of the Free State Rugby Union (FSRU), says the union has several sources of income and also has a series of fellow sponsors, and it will be business as usual while they await a main sponsor.
When are they going to rid FS of this cancer called Vertster?
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