While the Bloemfontein outfit were unable to notch up a victory in the European competition, there were plenty of encouraging signs - most notably in their brave and heartbreaking 31–28 defeat to Racing 92 in Paris on Sunday night. Pushed to the very end by one of Europe’s heavyweights, the Cheetahs showed grit, growth and a refusal to roll over on the biggest stage.

The team returned home to Bloemfontein on Tuesday, where the players will enjoy a short breather before shifting their focus firmly to the SA Cup.

Once again, the SA Cup will be absolutely crucial, serving as the qualification route for the Currie Cup later in the year. No team is guaranteed a free pass either - even the defending Currie Cup champions, the Suzuki Griquas, must qualify to earn the right to defend their crown.

Last season, the Cheetahs powered their way into the semi-finals of the SA Cup, where they went down 41–38 in a pulsating, high-tempo encounter against Griquas at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley.

New Cheetahs centre De-an Ackermann told OFM Sport that while the late loss to Racing 92 was tough to swallow, the experience would ultimately serve the team well.

“Losing at the death is definitely disappointing,” said Ackermann.

“But there were a lot of lessons learnt, and with that comes growth, which will put us in good stead going forward.

“From where we started the tournament to where we are now, there’s been massive improvement. We’ve said before that we need more games like this, against the best in the world, and I think we proved on Sunday night that we can compete at that level.

“Our performance showed that, even though we’re gutted about conceding that try in the last minute. Still, we showed that we belong and that we can compete at this level.”

The Kimberley-raised midfielder added that it’s vital for the team to quickly shift their focus to the next challenge - the SA Cup - as they begin building towards the Currie Cup.

“There are a lot of positives we can take from this EPCR tour, especially from where we started to where we are now,” he said.

“We can carry a lot of that into the SA Cup, particularly with the new combinations that played.

“We’re starting to find each other on the field, and the bond and unity among the guys has grown a lot stronger. We’re obviously disappointed with the result, but the most important thing is taking the positives out of this tour.

“We’re really looking forward to the SA Cup and building towards the Currie Cup, and we’re going to take it head on.”

The 2026 SA Cup is set to kick off in March, with the official fixtures still to be confirmed.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport