Cheetahs are more hardened

Cheetahs coach Izak van der Westhuizen (above) believes the experience gained from playing in last seasons Challenge Cup will stand them in good stead in their Challenge Cup last-16 clash against Claremont at the Stade Marcel Michelin in France this afternoon.

It is once again an uphill task for the Free State side, who only play in local competitions before battling it out in the internationally recognised Challenge Cup, and they will have to be at their absolute best if they want to make it through to the next round.

“A lot of the guys that played last year are in this squad. So that experience counts a lot. The big guy syndrome (overseas opposition) is gone. The guys know what to expect, they know what is expected of them and what the conditions will be like,” explained Van Der Westhuizen.

“So I think that helps us a lot. France is always a difficult place to play and you never know which French side is going to pitch up. But that experience in the group helps a lot.”

Last season the Cheetahs had an even more difficult time of it, as the Currie Cup was only played later in the year, so they had to use friendlies to prepare for the European competition and were eventually dumped out in the last16 by Toulon.

This season they will be slightly better prepared as they have been able to build up to their encounter with Clermont with some big wins in the local SA Cup competition, although the standard of opposition will be a massive step up.

Where the Cheetahs may get a leg up will be in the type of team that Claremont decides to put out for the match, as French sides are notorious for fielding weakened teams if they aren’t fully invested in the game.

It will be interesting to see if Claremont, who are struggling down in 11th place in the French top 14, are more focused on improving their standing in their local competition, or if they will be looking for redemption in the Challenge Cup.

“If you look at the depth of their squad they have a lot of quality players. So it doesn’t really matter what side they put out, it will still be a very good team that we will have to contend with,” said Van Der Westhuizen.

“I think motivation will be the big thing – whether or not they are up for it. But they are still a very good squad.”