On Sunday, the Cheetahs suffered a 42–12 defeat to the Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park in Devon in a match that was very much a tale of two halves. Exeter effectively won the contest in the opening stanza, taking a commanding 35–7 lead into the break.

While the Cheetahs were far better in the second 40 minutes, they struggled to score consistently. They were, however, up against a Premiership giant sitting second on the table and boasting a squad loaded with internationals.

There were clear areas in which the Cheetahs should have been sharper, and these will be prioritised in Amsterdam this week.

Steyn told OFM Sport they were slow out of the blocks in Devon and were exposed early, but he believes there is genuine confidence to take from the way they closed out the game.

“Firstly, I think they caught us in the first half,” said Steyn.

“We were too narrow off our kicks, and with the type and quality of players they have, they exploited us. After half-time we sorted that out, and we didn’t have that problem again. The second-half score was 7–5, so I’m very positive. We’ll keep on fighting.”

Prince Nkabinde. Photo: Morgan Piek

Steyn admitted it remains incredibly tough to compete against teams operating with vastly superior budgets.

“Playing-wise, we lack this quality of games – I’m not saying Griquas and Boland aren’t good, they both beat us –but this is the next level.

Their player budget is about £6.5 million, roughly R147 million, against our R30 million. If you give me just R10 million more on our budget, what would we be able to do?”

He said he was particularly encouraged by the fight his players showed until the final whistle. Giving up was never an option, even as fatigue crept in late in the contest.

“I think the guys pitched up and tried until the end. The mistakes that cost us were our own – we were too narrow, and we’ve spoken about filling the field quickly for a long time.

“They’re a top side, second in the Premiership, and they’ve put big scores on teams. They came out firing and, with their players, if you give them space, they’ll execute to perfection. Those cross-kicks were perfect, and they cost us. 

“Physically, I think we were great. We just need more games like this and to keep on building.

“The big question I asked the players was whether they feel we’re better than last year, and they said yes. So I don’t think the score is a true reflection.”

Gideon van der Merwe. Photo: Morgan Piek

“We were too narrow at times and they exploited that – that’s where the score got away from us.”

Stade Français will offer a very different challenge this weekend. French clubs are renowned for their physicality and directness, and the Cheetahs will need to front up for the full 80 minutes, both physically and mentally.

Saturday’s match at the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam kicks off at 15:00.

OFM SportMorgan Piek dg