It’s still too early in the competition – albeit a single-round tournament – to start talking about the semi-finals. However, a bonus-point win for the Cheetahs this weekend would put them firmly on the right track.

Province remain a team capable of derailing the Cheetahs’ ambitions. Despite suffering three heavy defeats in a row, they still have the ability to upset the apple cart. The seven-time champions will still face the Lions and Suzuki Griquas at home, which makes Saturday’s clash against the team from Cape Town even more important.

Marko Jansen van Vuren. Photo: Morgan Piek

With this being the first of three consecutive home games in the tournament, the Cheetahs are keen to make their home-ground advantage count. They will also play their last away game against the Bulls in Pretoria.

Outside centre Marko Jansen van Vuren, who previously represented the Bulls, told OFM Sport that it’s important for the team to maintain the momentum they’ve been building, even though their performance against the Sharks wasn’t their best.

“I think we’ve had a few good days of preparation, so we know they’re going to run the ball. We expect anything, but we’re well prepared for that,” said Jansen van Vuren.

“We have home games now, so we want to deliver good performances on our own turf. The Sharks game wasn’t great, but we’re back home and looking forward to this weekend.

“Like Frans (Steyn, Cheetahs coach) says, for us as a team to move forward, we need to build momentum. You couldn’t ask for better than three home games in a row,” the versatile Jansen van Vuren added.

“This weekend, we really need to deliver a good, clinical performance, with everyone on the same page, like Frans says. We’re working on good things and just need to build on that.”

Steyn, in turn, warned that one thing the team learned from their 7-5 win against the Sharks is that Western Province will not be a pushover. They are far better than their previous scores suggest.

“The analysis we did on Western Province shows that their results don’t reflect the quality of their play,” said the two-time Rugby World Cup winner.

“I think they’re a very good team. You never really know what to expect from them. They throw the ball around, so we need to be alert and expect anything. That’s the plan for the weekend – stay alert, play in the right areas, and be on the same page.”

Saturday’s game between the Cheetahs and Western Province at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein kicks off at 14:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cvs