On Saturday night, the Suzuki Griquas outclassed the Cheetahs with a 25-5 victory in Kimberley to book their place in the final against the Lions in Johannesburg.

It’s been a challenging season for the Cheetahs, with coaching changes, a spate of injuries, a new CEO stepping in, and plenty of young players being given a chance to prove themselves.

Frans Steyn. Photo: Morgan Piek

Heading into the semi-final against the Griquas, the Cheetahs had at least 11 players sidelined, including key men such as Carl Wegner, Chucky van der Westhuizen, Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Munier Hartzenberg, and Ntokozo Makahaza. 

To make matters worse, four flyhalves were on that list – Tiaan Swanepoel, George Lourens, Ethan Wentzel, and Franco Smith. Even James Verity-Amm, who has previously marshalled the Cheetahs’ backline, was unavailable.

Still, Steyn insists that injuries aren’t an excuse. He sees it instead as a golden opportunity for younger players to step up – like 20-year-old lock Juan Venter, who turned out to be a real find.

Juan Venter. Photo: Morgan Piek

Despite all the setbacks, the seven-time champions still managed to reach the semi-finals for the fourth year in a row – having first needed to qualify by finishing in the top four of the SA Cup.

Reflecting on the defeat, Steyn told OFM Sport that while it was disappointing not to make the final, he remains proud of what his side achieved.

“In all fairness, their team has been together for longer, and you can see their experience shining through – their loose forwards are physical and well-drilled. If you look at someone like Juan Venter, a 20-year-old lock, he really stepped up today,” said Steyn.

“There’s still a lot we need to fix, but overall I’m proud of the guys. They kept fighting. Our lineouts and scrums just didn’t fire on the day – that’s on us to sort out. Defensively, here and there, we were off the pace, and in attack, things just weren’t clicking. Maybe it was the occasion, I don’t know.

“But we need to keep building, because we have something special here.”

Steyn added that the focus will remain on backing and developing young players, especially given the financial challenges the union faces.

Carel-Jan Coetzee. Photo: Morgan Piek

“Later this year, it’ll be good to see guys like Ramon Uys coming into the mix. We need to keep pushing the youngsters, and eventually we’ll get to where we want to be.

“We’re not there yet, and if anyone thinks it’ll change overnight, it doesn’t work like that. We don’t have R100 million to spend. We have to make the most of what we’ve got and get better at it.”

He admitted that it’s been a disruptive year with plenty of changes to the coaching setup – including the arrival of Rory Duncan – but says the Free State spirit will carry them through.

Michael Annies. Photo: Morgan Piek

“You’ve got to understand, there were a lot of changes this year – Hawies Fourie left, the defensive coaches left, Iza van der Westhuizen left, Albert Keuris left. We know our standards during the week need to be better, and we’ll get there. We’re all learning, and we’ll keep improving.”

The Cheetahs’ next assignment is the Toyota Challenge, expected to take place in October, with some exciting international teams set to be confirmed in due course. The event will serve as crucial preparation for their upcoming EPCR Challenge Cup campaign in Europe.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cvs