JOHANNESBURG - In 1995 a book titled “Vrystaat 100 jaar van hardlooprugby” hit the shelves. Loosely translated means, “Free State 100 years of running rugby”.
It was a big book - nearly as big as new Bok assistant Franco Smith at the moment - celebrating the centenary of the Free State Rugby Union, the “owners”, if you like, of the Cheetahs.
It was an apt title for the team hailing from Bloemfontein - the City of Roses where current fullback Clayton Blommetjies must surely feel very much at home - as they have always been known to play open, expansive rugby, sometimes at the expense of a victory, but always to thrill fans.
Over the years the Cheetahs have become everyone’s “second favourite team” because of their ball-in-hand rugby, their dislike for kicking and their spectacular tries.
Of late, though, the Cheetahs have not quite lived up to their billing as a try-hungry team. Last year in Super Rugby they scored 47 tries in their 15 games; decent, but not close to the Lions’ 71 in their round-robin fixtures.
In the domestic Currie Cup, however, a competition where they won all 10 matches to win the title, they scored 49 tries in round-robin play, matched only by the Lions, and 10 better than the third best try-scoring team.
It is now time though for the Cheetahs to replicate that sort of form in Super Rugby. They have a coach in their midst (Smith, who is now a real big-shot) who encourages running rugby, who wants to see plenty tries being scored and this weekend they have an opportunity to do just that.
Smith will be the Boks’ attack coach going forward, but for South African fans to get behind him they’ll first want to see the Cheetahs pouncing and producing some magic and tries being scored.
The Cheetahs showed glimpses of what they’re possibly capable of against the Lions last week, but they didn’t sustain it and after 80 minutes they were left wondering how that match got away.
Saturday's outing is an opportunity for Smith and his Cheetahs to show they can run it and also win it. This is a chance for them to really run over the Super Rugby Bulls, like they did the Currie Cup Bulls.