Both teams are still in the hunt for a Currie Cup semi-final spot, and the Cheetahs will be desperate to snap their three-match losing streak against the Lions. Last year, against the Lions, they lost their round-robin clash in Bloemfontein 38-21, and in the semi-final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, they were beaten 43-34.

The log-leading Cheetahs have been creating plenty of chances and getting into the opposition’s 22, but converting those opportunities into points has been a stumbling block during the Currie Cup. However, it was something they managed to do pretty well in the latter stages of the SA Cup.

Pienaar said turning opportunities into points and working on the defence and discipline are big work-ons in the lead-up to the game against the Lions

“There’s no doubt it’s going to be another proper battle,” Pienaar said. “One of our biggest focus areas has been making sure we turn our entries into points.

“I think we also need to play in the right areas, and our kicking game can always improve as well. In all our games, we’ve had quite a few 22-metre entries, but we haven’t converted most of them into points. That’s something we were a lot better at towards the end of the SA Cup, so it’s been a big focus.

Victor Sekekete. Photo: Morgan Piek

“Defensively, there’s always room for improvement. Against Western Province last week, our discipline in the second half let us down. So, there’s still a lot to work on, but also a lot that we’ve already improved. Hopefully, we can keep building on that.

“We’ll definitely have to be at our best.”

Saturday’s game between the Cheetahs and the Lions at the Toyota Stadium kicks off at 14:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh