Cheetahs 2013

[Sker]

The Cheetahs preliminary squad:

Forwards: Steph Roberts, Caylib Oosthuizen, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Lourens Adriaanse, Rossouw de Klerk, Ryno Barnes, Adriaan Strauss, Hercu Liebenberg, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Ligtoring Landman, Francois Uys, Andries Ferreira, Edwin Hewitt, Martin Muller, Waltie Vermeulen, Lodewyk de Jager, Marnus Schoeman, Lappies Labuschagn, Heinrich Brssow, Boom Prinsloo, Justin Downey, Davon Raubenheimer, Philip van der Walt, Leon Karemaker, Tertius Daniller.

Backs: Marnus Hugo, Sarel Pretorius, Pieter van Zyl, Tewis de Bruyn, Johan Goosen, Francois Brummer, Hansie Graaff, Elgar Watts, Barry Geel, Robert Ebersohn, Joubert Engelbrecht, Jean Stemmet, Johann Sadie, JP Nel, Rocco Jansen, Raymond Rhule, Cornal Hendricks, Jannie Boshoff, Dusty Noble, Rayno Benjamin, Nico Scheepers, Willie le Roux, Hennie Daniller, Riaan Smit.

from sport24


1. Coenie Oosthuizen
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. ??
4. Andries Ferreira
5. ??
6. Heinrich Brussouw
7. Marnus Schoeman
8. Leon Karemaker

9. Piet van Zyl / Sarel Pretorius
10. Johan Goosen
11. Rocco Jansen
12. Johann Sadie
13. Robert Ebersohn
14. Raymond Rhule
15. Willie le Roux


I'm not too sure of the forwards, don't know the players all that well. Should have watched more CC. Backline seems pretty damn dangerous although I'm also unsure about Sadie at 12.

 

[Seaton]

Sucks Marcel van der Merwe has gone to the Bulls.

Suspect Coenie will continue his little merry-go-round the front-row an play a lot of this season at tight head with Nyakane coming in. The other props are distinctly meh and have no future (age/ development/ Bok wise)

Lankman (see what I did there? ) and Muller had very good seasons, either one or both should start. However Drotske being Drotske, he won't make full use of the resources at his disposal and will select underperforming Cheetahs like Ferriara and Uys over Griquas.

Nice to see Sadie there though, will add a lot more to the team than previous have, and of course suits the Cheetahs perfectly. Would think that Ehbersohn would shift in one.

 

[psychic duck]

Where's Juan Smith?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

So Smith has confirmed leaving/retiring? That man has had no luck with injuries. The Cheetahs are rushing their star players back from injury like Brussow back far too early far too often IMO. Also no Philip Snyman?

I'd pick

1 T Nyakane
2 A Strauss
3 C Oosthuizen
4 P Labuschagne out of position but I think it'd suit their style
5 M Muller
6 H Brussow
7 M Schoeman
8 P van der Walt
9 P Van Zyl
10 J Goosen
11 R Rhule
12 J Sadie
13 R Ebersohn
14 R Benjamin
15 W le Roux

Adriaanse, Liebennberg, Landman, Karremaker, Pretorius, Smit, Scheepers bench for me money.

They'll leak a ton of tries again if they havn't worked on their defense but will score close to as many. A combo of Brussow, Schoeman, Strauss and Oosthuizen should create a Fton of turn-overs for those dangerous backs to score off of. Strauss, Oosthuizen, vd Walt, Schoeman and Labuschagne are handy ball carriers to generate go-forward... there is no reason this side shouldn't perform apart from a lack of depth and their poor defensive record.

The only place in which they don't have class players is lock. If I were a head honcho in the Free State I'd bait some of the Stormers and Sharks fringe locks. Really, between Etzebeth, Bekker, Elstadt, Steenkmap (and Q Roux before he left because of the pile up of locks) at the Stormers and Du Toit, van der Merwe, Bresler, Marais (and the group of Mostert, Hargreaves, Skeate and Sykes) at the Sharks surely they could have secured someone better than Waltie Vermeulen/ Ferreira / Uys for themselves?

 

[Draggs]

You could have had Sykes if you had asked nicely.
Smith is far too injury-prone to consider this far out, unfortunately.

 

[Sker]

That backline though... makes me all excited.

 

[Draggs]

That backline though... makes me all excited.

Yeah, I'd love to see those lads combined with a few of ours for the Boks, maybe a token Stormer.

 

[LittleGuy]

This is going to be one exciting team to watch #10-15 is class, I think they will progress somewhat this season, playoffs may be just out of reach but they will kick the snot out of the Province Kings along with the weaker Australian sides. Is the schedule out yet? I would be interested to see who their inter-conference opponents are, could be the difference from being a darkhorse contender or a table finish similar to last year.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

http://www.therugbyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?28540-2013-Super-Rugby-Draw

 

[TRF_heineken]

Juan Smith is going to France the last I heard...

That is a pretty good squad if you ask me, and I think you guys are underestimating the props.

Caylib Oosthuizen did very well when he was at the lions. He's mobile and scrums very well. Rossouw de Klerk i thought needed more game time at the Bulls and never got the proper opportunity. I think Coenie will remain at tighthead with Caylib and De Klerk and Nyakane at loosehead. De klerk can play both sides of the scrum so he could mainly be used from the bench even with the 23-man squads.

Am I the only that is excited about the loose forwards group they have? Brussouw, Schoeman and Karemaker would be deadly!! and then they have Boom Prinsloo too!!

The backs are very well balanced, and I'm glad to see Cornal Hendricks added to the squad. Joining Robert Ebersohn from the seven's squad could be a very deadly combination.

Now they just need some decent coaching

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'm not worried for them in the front row. I rate Marcell highly and think losing him and WP Nel in one go is tough. But they should still hold their own but Coenie needs to sort out all those penalties he is getting. Maybe at tighthead he'll do better as he is a monster in the loose.

I actually rate Labuschagne and Van der Walt higher than Karremaker and Prinsloo. Just goes to show that they have quality depth in the loose forwards and I'd give much to see Brussow and Schoeman in tandem!

9 to 15 first choice pretty much much picks itself and if they can just turn up inn defense I can see the Cheetahs being 3rd in SA. Big If though. And the need locks!

 

[Amobokoboko]

Squad looking good. In deed a lack of some decent locks.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Yeah, the Cheetahs can do with some locks. There's always the option of playing the Griquas-combo but they might not be ready to face Super Rugby quality sides yet. It's a shame they did not sign any Lions locks. They could really have used Franco van der Merwe, Rhodes or Roodt (who left Griquas to join the Lions a year ago).

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah, had they held onto Marcell van der Merwe and gotten Franco van der Merwe in along with another decent lock I'd have gone as far as saying they'd have the 2nd best pack in SA with the most dangerous attacking backs although depth is a issue in the backs.

 

[SomeOke]

My problem with the Cheetahs is not their quality, it's that what makes them awesome is also going to stop them from success in terms of placing high.

They have a lot of players who can effect turnover's as well as a running back line that thrives off space, broken defence and shock value. It's basically counter-attacking rugby; effect a turnover, attack quickly before the opposition can turn their attacking set-up into a defensive set-up, run support, make the off-loads and score tries.

Their whole game plan is based off loose play both in their forwards and in their backs. Now when it works it looks fantastic, and it's great entertainment and I do feel like they add a lot of value to the SA conference but can we really ever take them seriously as a competitive side? They can pull off a few upsets but until they win enough games that when they do beat a good side it's not considered an upset at all they aren't going to get anywhere.

When sides either don't play by their rules i.e. Stormers - refusing to break structure keeping things formulaic, organised or hard to break down OR can play that loose game as well as having a more structured style i.e. Sharks, Chiefs, Saders etc they are always going to come off second best.

I'm not sure I want that to change, I like them how they are - the wild card, and if they change that and get a bit more organised it's going to ruin what's made them such an interesting side to watch.

For what it's worth I don't think it's a lack of talented or quality players as player for player they look pretty damn solid. Sharks lived with shitty locks for years and it didn't stop them from being a quality side.

But hey maybe they prove me wrong.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I don't think they need more structure as much as some commitment in the tackle. If you look at missed tackle stats there are double the amount of Cheetahs players than any other team. I'm also not convinced they do have actually quality in the back line. Sure, I would welcome their halves with open arms but would be disappointed if WP signed any of the others TBH.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Things are looking up lately when you consider the back line. For years they had wingers without a brain and just pace (Basson, Nokwe, Mapoe), a fullback without creativity (Oom Hennie) and centres not understanding the very basics of defensive play (Strauss being the most recent one).

If they adopt the back line of the Griquas with guys like Le Roux, Stemmet, Boshof they will get a more allround back line with players who also know how to defend. Imagine if they could add Pietersen, Aplon or Ludik. Those 2 are the perfect example of a back line player mastering all aspects of the game

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