The majority of the new players that will be joining the Cheetahs are forwards due to the mass player exodus in recent times.

The second-row department, in particular, was hit hard with departures and being a difficult time of the year to recruit, the Cheetahs have a big task on their hands in order to try and lure players of quality to Bloemfontein.

Thus far the signings of Rynier Bernardo and Jean Droste have been confirmed at lock, while on Friday the former Springbok loose forward, Jacques Potgieter, who can also play at lock, will undergo fitness and medical tests.

Van der Westhuizen welcomes the positive energy that the new recruits bring to the camp and he told OFM Sport that this will be a key ingredient.

“It is going to be a bit of a rebuilding phase, and it is good and exciting to hear that the guys are keen and they really want to play.

“Excitement is always a key ingredient when it comes to training. The next step that needs to follow will be effort. The amount of effort and amount of input they are going to give will be crucial.

“The next couple of weeks will be a good time to see just how invested they are. The plan will be to work very hard and see if we can come together as a unit quite quickly. Just to get everyone on the same page over the next couple of weeks is going to be a big challenge.

“It's always good when you've got guys that are excited and keen to play, and I am looking forward to working with them, just to see how good they are and to see if we can improve their playing ability to help them in the future.”

The Cheetahs start with their preseason for the Franchise Cup next week, and there are suggestions that SA Rugby could make an announcement regarding the tournament on Thursday.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport