Cheetahs to deploy new tactic with Cassiem their go-to man
THE Cheetahs will have their first preseason outing against the Stormers in Harare on Saturday where Bok flank Uzair Cassiem could be utilised as an openside flank.
Cassiem might wear the number six jersey at the weekend and during the coming Super Rugby season‚ but he will also wear the number seven jersey at times. In coach Franco Smith’s mind‚ he doesn’t want to pigeon-hole his backrowers as he believes the days of a pure openside or blindside flank‚ are over.
Loose-forwards need to have the skills and athleticism to do both those roles‚ as well as play a linking game.
Cassiem‚ who wore the Cheetahs number seven jersey most of last season at both Super Rugby and Currie Cup level‚ has certainly shown he is an allrounder.
“We have a couple of international flanks in Oupa Mohoje and Uzair Cassiem‚ who will battle for the number seven jersey‚” said Smith.
“I plan to use Uzair Cassiem at number six too‚ but for me the number on a player’s back is irrelevant. The looseforwards have to be able to do everything.
“The idea of a big number seven that smashes it up, has been gone for a while at the top end of the game and we shouldn’t hang on to it. I’d rather have more potential ball carriers.
“In South Africa, we are still very traditional‚ so I want to better the specific skills of all the backrow players‚ especially at the breakdown‚ instead of banking on one player.
“It’s also about learning which breakdowns to target by recognising if there is one that we’re unable to win.”
Smith has proven himself to be an astute coach and his philosophy of creating better overall rugby players in all positions is something the Stormers themselves have been working on in the pre-season.
Stormers coach Robbie Fleck appointed New Zealand skills and attack coach Paul Feeney to help with the transition of his team from structured robots into organic thinkers on the field.
Smith is doing much the same at the Cheetahs and their clash in Zimbabwe will be a yardstick for both squads to measure where they stand in terms of their development.
The Cheetahs‚ after using the same squad throughout last year’s unbeaten run in the Currie Cup‚ which ended in a 36-16 final win over the Bulls‚ should be more settled in their approach than the Stormers. For both sides, Saturday’s result is not important‚ but measuring their own performances against their specified targets is what it’s all about. — TMG