The men from the Free State face two tough assignments straight out the blocks - this weekend’s clash with the Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park, followed by a trip to Amsterdam next week where Stade Français await. It’s a challenging start, but one the Cheetahs seem genuinely up for.

In the build-up, the squad has spent plenty of time training in wet, miserable Bloemfontein weather - a rare blessing - which captain Chucky van der Westhuizen believes has been invaluable.

“We’ve been training with wet balls and trying to simulate the conditions we might face over there,” Van der Westhuizen told OFM Sport.

“Obviously, it won’t be exactly the same - it’s going to be colder and more challenging - but we’re doing everything we can to incorporate similar weather elements into our sessions.”

Van der Westhuizen added that Exeter and Stade Français offer very different rugby philosophies, and adapting to contrasting styles will be crucial. Still, the Cheetahs are determined to stay true to their identity.

“Exeter play a fast, running brand of rugby with plenty of skill, while the French sides are more physical and direct,” he said.

“It’s good for us to see where we can slot in and find the balance between those two styles.

“It’s definitely going to be tough, but we’re looking forward to the challenge. We have to believe in ourselves - we can’t go in with an underdog mindset. For us, it’s all about playing our brand of rugby, no matter who the opposition is.”

With European conditions and opposition, set pieces will be even more important. Van der Westhuizen, who returned recently from international duty with Namibia, said the Cheetahs have taken note of the dominance the Springboks showed at scrum time on their recent tour - and they hope to emulate the world champions in that department.

“The set piece can make or break a game. If the scrum goes well, the whole team gets into the match and the backs can play,” he said. “It’s a massive focus for us, and we’ve worked really hard on it over the last few weeks.

“A solid scrum gives you a strong launch, and that makes everything easier. There’s been plenty of conditioning and scrum conditioning, and we’ve definitely taken a few pages out of the Springboks’ book.”

The Cheetahs open their campaign against Exeter on Sunday evening. Kick-off at Sandy Park is at 19:30.

Cheetahs touring squad:

Forwards - Aranos Coetzee, Cameron Dawson, Frankie Dos Reis, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Daniel Maartens, Tielman Niewoudt, Vernon Paulo, Victor Sekekete, Pierre Uys, Gideon van der Merwe, Chucky van der Westhuizen, Juan Venter, Neels Volschenk, Sisonke Vumazonke, Carl Wegner

Backs - De-an Ackermann, Michael Annies, Clayton Blommetjies, Zander du Plessis, Munier Hartzenberg, Cohen Jasper, Rewan Kruger, Jandré Nel, Prince Nkabinde, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Jaco van der Walt

Morgan Piek OFM Sport