Cheetahs need to rein in Chiefs

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 21: Israel Dagg of the Crusaders is tackled during the round six Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Cheetahs at AMI Stadium on March 21, 2015 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 21: Israel Dagg of the Crusaders is tackled during the round six Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Cheetahs at AMI Stadium on March 21, 2015 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

Published Mar 27, 2015

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Down and out! Few would disagree with that statement after copping a 57-14 hiding by the Crusaders, but the Cheetahs know they’ve been here before and come out on top.

Roll the calendar back to 2013 and you realise why coach Naka Drotske isn’t nearly as despondent as one would assume. Two years ago the Cheetahs took a 45-3 beating by the Chiefs – the side they face in a round seven match in Hamilton tomorrow – and then turned things around very nicely to win their next three matches on tour.

The tourists racked up victories against the Highlanders, Waratahs and Western Force to register their best ever tour and return home in high spirits. They eventually finished sixth overall, with 10 wins from their 16 games, and featured in the “quarter-finals”. Drotske is hoping for something similar this time around, especially after losing their last three games. The last time the Cheetahs won was back on February 27, against the Blues, with their only other win coming in round one, against the Sharks in Durban.

The Cheetahs though will seemingly have to pull a rabbit out the hat if they’re to come out on top against the Chiefs on this occasion. Their hosts are certainly one of the more dangerous attacking sides in the competition and will be hurting after going down to the Sharks in an ill-tempered game in Durban a week ago. Only the Brumbies and Crusaders have scored more tries than them so far and as Drotske pointed out this week, the Chiefs are deadly with turn-over ball and on the counter-attack.

And it’s these two aspects of the game that resulted in the Cheetahs blowing a good first half against the Crusaders last week. The Cheetahs led 14-10 at the break in Christchurch but silly mistakes and turn-overs allowed the seven-times champions to run in seven second half tries and claim a memorable victory.

If the Cheetahs make the same mistakes, the Chiefs have the potential to also put 50 points past them. That, of course, wouldn’t be a surprise considering the high-scoring encounters between these teams in the past. The 45-3 win by the Chiefs in 2013 is still their biggest winning margin in the competition’s history, while last year’s match in Bloemfontein ended in a 43-all draw – the highest scoring draw since the competition’s inception.

While both teams have made changes to their lineups since last week, with Sonny Bill Williams back for the Chiefs, the Cheetahs look the more unsettled of the sides; Drotske just about reshuffling his whole team.

Francois Uys is back to lead the side at lock, there’s an entirely new front row and midfield, while Clayton Blommetjies comes in at fullback for the rested Willie le Roux, among other changes.

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