The Cheetahs broke their three-match winless streak in the competition with a 29-14 win over the champions in Nelspruit.

The Cheetahs managed to secure a home semi-final in the tournament, and this will take the pressure off before facing the Bulls this weekend.

Fourie told OFM Sport that their defence was next-level against a determined Pumas outfit.

“We started off quite badly and we got penalised quite heavily and struggled to get out of our 22 for a long time,” said Fourie.

“I must applaud the forwards for stopping the mauls; and our defensive effort as a team. Keeping them out was vital, especially the maul they had just before halftime, where we didn't allow them to score points in that last minute before the break.”

The tighthead prop, Hencus van Wyk, in his turn, told OFM Sport that there was a big vibe in the camp and it was visible that the team wanted to play for the win and book a home semi-final.

“It was a tough one,” said the tighthead prop.

“We really needed that cohesion within the team. I thought there was a massive vibe and everything kind of clicked in the way we wanted to play and wanted to win.

“One could see that in the team.”

A win on Saturday will give the Cheetahs a very good chance to host a potential home final, should they be able to win their semi-final. However, the Cheetahs will also be hoping that Western Province can cause an upset by beating the young and confident Sharks in Cape Town.

Saturday’s match between the Bulls and Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld kicks off at 15:00.

Morgan Piek/OFM Sport