Cheetahs 2011

[Blue]

Well I started by scratching around the Cheetahs website and for the most part thought who are these people? As is always the case, the Cheetahs are made up of youngsters, some rejects, and a few guys who never left the Free State for some unknown reason. Yet, there are a few shining lights in the squad but it's in a huge bloody dark space.

There are a lot of guys I know nothing about so maybe Paarl wants to add some insights. I know he has raps on the Ebersohn bro's.

Squad Announced:
Props: Coenie Oosthuizen, Kevin Stevens, Marcel van der Merwe, WP Nel, Kobus Calldo
Hookers: Adriaan Strauss, Ryno Barnes, Skipper Badenhorst
Locks: Francois Uys, Izak van der Westhuizen, Martin Muller, Waltie Vermeulen, Wilhelm Steenkamp
Back Row: Kabamba Floors, Heinrich Brüssow, Johan Wessels, Davon Raubenheimer, Juan Smith, Philip van der Walt, Ashley Johnson
Scummies: Frans Viljoen, Sarel Pretorius, Tewis de Bruyn
10: Tertius Carse, Naas Olivier, Louis Strydom, Sias Ebersohn
Wings: Ryno Benjamin, Fabian Juries, Philip Burger, Philip Snyman, Wilmaure Louw
Midfield: Andries Strauss, Morgan Newman, Barry Geel, Corné Uys, Robert Ebersohn, Riaan Smit
15: Hennie Daniller, Riaan Viljoen.

Players to watch:

• Brussow - Of course. Can he make such a big impact on the game again? I think he will. Too much class. Provided his knee has healed. They have been ultra conservative with him which is good.
• Coenie Oosthuizen - Entertainment value. If you are wondering what happened to the guy who at the pies? He got eaten by Coenie! Actually a great prospect. 130kgs and moves like a flanker. Scored most tries for Cheetahs in the CC last year including a hat trick.
• Sarel Pretorius - Very, very good scrummie. Got injured early last season. I know Lee likes him.
• Phillip Burger - Small winger but incredibly fast. Back from France. Does many irritating goose steps and similar uncalled for moves.
• Andries Strauss - 12 nicked from the Sharks. Went on EOYT last year. Very good player.
• Morgan Newman: 12/13 who three years ago was the next best thing in Cape Town. Got injured, and couldn't get a game in the Cape. Very good player from what I recall. Played very well against the B&I Lions in the wet if I recall correctly
• Benjamin and Juries are two very quick 7's players.

Strengths:

• Back row. Juan Smit is still in my view the best blind side in world rugby and with Brussow they will cause headaches, backed up by able players.
• Scrum: Will always be strong with Os coaching.
• Speed on the wings but their game plan has never been to use it so it doesn't help much unless they do.

Weaknesses:

• To me THE biggest problem for the Cheetahs has always been the lack of a 10 that can do anything else but kick the thing to the shithouse. Now they have two.
• Many untried players who hail from smaller provinces with little or no big game experience.
• Once they go to shit, they really, really go to shit.

Nevertheless I love watching them play because in at least two games a season they play out of their skins and pull of an upset and I am sure they will again this year.

Prediction: 4th or 5th in the SA conference but it doesn't really matter which,

 

[PaarlBok]

Tertyius Carse is a 9, Frans Viljoen is your favourate 7, (the big one)

 

[PaarlBok]

Positive for the Tin Ears:
They'll be much stronger in the conferense system S15. More home derbies and they have the habit of clinching away wins here against any team.

My match 22.
Squad Announced:
1 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Adriaan Strauss 3. WP Nel 4 Martin Muller (x Stormer, Ikey and SA U20) 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp 6 Heinrich Brussouw 7 Juan Smith 8 Ashley Johnson 9 Sarel Pretorius 10 Naas Olivier 11 Phillip Burger 13 R Ebersohn 12 Andries Strauss 14 Rayno Benjamin 15 Hennie Daniller

Reserves: Calldo, Barnes, Waltie Vermeulen, Floors, de Bruyn, Newman, Riaan Viljoen

 

[Blue]

Positive for the Tin Ears:
They'll be much stronger in the conferense system S15. More home derbies and they have the habit of clinching away wins here against any team.

My match 22.
Squad Announced:
1 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Adriaan Strauss 3. WP Nel 4 Martin Muller (x Stormer, Ikey and SA U20) 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp 6 Heinrich Brussouw 7 Juan Smith 8 Ashley Johnson 9 Sarel Pretorius 10 Naas Olivier 11 Phillip Burger 13 R Ebersohn 12 Andries Strauss 14 Rayno Benjamin 15 Hennie Daniller

Reserves: Calldo, Barnes, Waltie Vermeulen, Floors, de Bruyn, Newman, Riaan Viljoen

They will trouble a few teams with that lineup. Strong scrum with two very good young locks. Back row sells itself.

10 is the gap for me. Olivier is really not great. Decent midfield with quick wings. Daniller is a decent player.

Trouble starts for them when those first choice players go down.

They will prob win a few derbies which is not good for the other teams...

 

[Lee Grant]

Another great effort Blue.

Paarl Bok raises the point that I hadn't thought of before: that some some South African teams who don't tour to Oz and NZ very well will not be disadvantaged as much as before - because they play a higher percentage of games in their own country.

The other side of it is that teams who tour over here well will not benefit as much in the conference system.

It's the same for Oz and NZ teams but SAffer teams seemed to be affected more because it's only a short hop from Oz to NZ and vice versa. Aussie teams, for example, were more affected by the standard of NZ teams than the travel there.

 

[en_force_er]

South African players seem to move between their Super teams more then any other SANZAR nation and one side always draws the short straw each year (always either the Lions or the Cheetahs).

This year it would appear the Cheetahs have drawn the short straw, despite having 4 or 5 really talented players rugby is a 15 man game.

 

[Blue]

enforcer - The Cheetahs are used to it. They lose promising players all the time. Grey College in Bloemfontein is a Springbok production line. The good ones get snapped up by the richer unions early on and when a player does well for a couple of seasons for the Cheetahs he inevitable gets more cash.

 

[PaarlBok]

South African players seem to move between their Super teams more then any other SANZAR nation and one side always draws the short straw each year (always either the Lions or the Cheetahs).

This year it would appear the Cheetahs have drawn the short straw, despite having 4 or 5 really talented players rugby is a 15 man game.

Honestly think the Tin Ears havent lost that many compare to previous years. Their youth academy is now establish and will start producing from the Grey factory. Thats one area the Lions still have to build, get the academy running within their franchise. They only lost Bosman to the Sharks but get Andries Strauss in return, Basson was sold to the Brutes by Griquas to give them some cash, the Cheetah franchise wasnt happy at all about this, the locks went to the Kings who poach a few Kovsies during the year.

I'll bold the newbies in their squad
Props: Coenie Oosthuizen, Kevin Stevens, Marcel van der Merwe, WP Nel, Kobus Calldo
Hookers: Adriaan Strauss, Ryno Barnes, Skipper Badenhorst
Locks: Francois Uys, Izak van der Westhuizen, Martin Muller, Waltie Vermeulen, Wilhelm Steenkamp
Back Row: Kabamba Floors, Heinrich Brüssow, Johan Wessels, Davon Raubenheimer, Juan Smith, Philip van der Walt, Ashley Johnson
Scummies: Frans Viljoen, Sarel Pretorius, Tewis de Bruyn
10: Tertius Carse, Naas Olivier, Louis Strydom, Sias Ebersohn
Wings: Ryno Benjamin, Fabian Juries, Philip Burger, Philip Snyman, Wilmaure Louw
Midfield: Andries Strauss, Morgan Newman, Barry Geel, Corné Uys, Robert Ebersohn, Riaan Smit
15: Hennie Daniller, Riaan Viljoen.

They have more then enough depth in my books. Like I qouted they surely have a good enough CC record over the last couple of years to make themself count in the conferense competition, write them off on your own peril. Came desprerately close to nick their first win in NZ last year and they have the same coaching staff. They'll know where to aim and with Os and Derick Coetzee under Naka they'll strive to get to the top.

 

[PaarlBok]

Toyota the drive behind the Tin Ears

http://blog.fscheetahs.co.za/2011/02/16/toyota-now-the-driving-force-behind-the-cheetahs-rugby-team/

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has become the driving force behind Cheetahs rugby following the announcement of a major sponsorship agreement with the Free State Rugby Union.

In terms of the agreement announced today Toyota will have the naming rights of the Cheetahs rugby team in the Super Rugby and Currie Cup series for the next three years.

“We at Toyota are delighted to expand our involvement in the great game of rugby and proud to be associated with one of the premier regional and provincial teams in the country,” says Dr. Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors.

Dr. Van Zyl’s comments are echoed by Harold Verster, Managing Director of the Cheetahs Company: “We are very excited about our new partnership with Toyota and we are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the company.”

“Rugby is all about teamwork, endurance and toughness; qualities that are inherent to the Toyota brand,” says Dr. Van Zyl. “These characteristics resonate well with the core values of our company, as well as models such as Hilux, renowned for its legendary toughness.”

Another important aspect of the expansion of Toyota’s commitment to rugby is the sport’s huge following countrywide – in all spheres of the population – and its expanding popularity. Last year rugby’s fan base grew by 4 percent.

“Toyota believes in adding value for our customers and in the development of young talent to unlock the full potential of our people. Our association with the Cheetahs mirrors this as the team has always been the breeding ground for exciting young players, with some of them now playing at international level,” says Dr. Van Zyl.

Toyota South Africa has also been the driving force behind the development of young players in the Western Province through the Toyota Rugby School of Excellence – an association that celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.

“We are very excited with our broadened involvement in South African rugby and look forward to a long and fruitful association with the Cheetahs. We wish them well in their endeavours in the upcoming Super Rugby tournament and hope they will lead the way towards Currie Cup glory,” says Dr. Van Zyl.

 

[wobbly]

That jersey is a great improvement on the orange one and quite similar to Gold Coast Titans rugby league.

 

[whatty]

Another great effort Blue.

Paarl Bok raises the point that I hadn't thought of before: that some some South African teams who don't tour to Oz and NZ very well will not be disadvantaged as much as before - because they play a higher percentage of games in their own country.

The other side of it is that teams who tour over here well will not benefit as much in the conference system.

It's the same for Oz and NZ teams but SAffer teams seemed to be affected more because it's only a short hop from Oz to NZ and vice versa. Aussie teams, for example, were more affected by the standard of NZ teams than the travel there.

To be exact they now play 25% of there games overseas or 4 out of 16 compared to 4 or 5 out of 13 like last years that a 30% or so differnce. Thats a big change and should level the travel issue even more in favour of SA.

Dont think this point should be underestimated.

I like the look of the Cheetahs and should do well this year compared to the past. Keen to see how Brussow gets on.