The Cheetahs opened their campaign with a convincing 54-24 victory over the Portuguese outfit on Friday, racing into a commanding 40-10 lead at half-time before ultimately sealing a comfortable win.

Following the disappointment of their 42-36 SA Cup semi-final defeat to the eventual champions, the Pumas, in Nelspruit, it was a near-perfect response from the Free Staters. The performance was made even more impressive by the quality of the opposition, with the Lusitanos featuring six players who represented Portugal against the Springboks in Bloemfontein nearly two years ago.

Cheetahs captain Neels Volschenk and his Romania A counterpart Vlad Neculau - Morgan Piek

The first half showcased some of the Cheetahs’ best rugby of the season, while the visitors fought their way back into the contest during the second 40 minutes.

Romania A will present another stern examination on Wednesday. Although they suffered a 35-20 defeat to the Suzuki Griquas, the Romanians asked several tough questions of the Currie Cup champions and showed enough quality to suggest they will be a formidable challenge.

Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn told OFM Sport that while there were positives and negatives to take from the opening game, he was satisfied with the overall performance. However, he remains determined to see his side produce a complete 80-minute display.

“The first half was very good, but the second half was very poor. If someone had told us before the game that the score would end up like that, we would have taken it,” said Steyn.

“We have certain standards we work towards every week and, once again, we were good in the first half. As I’ve said before, I’m still waiting for the day when we put together a full 80-minute performance. That will be a special day.

“You have to take the good with the bad. It was a big day, and a lot of effort went into it. It would have been great if more people had come out to enjoy the atmosphere and what was created. Hopefully we’ll see that on Wednesday, or perhaps on Sunday.

Jooste Nel - Morgan Piek

“For rugby in general, it’s good for teams like the Griquas and Pumas to play different opposition. We face each other all the time in the Currie Cup, so I think they appreciate these opportunities as well.”

Inside centre Jooste Nel was arguably the standout performer for the Cheetahs. After scoring two outstanding tries, he was deservedly named Player of the Match.

Steyn said he has been delighted by Nel’s growth in recent months and believes the soon-to-be father has all the attributes required to make the No.12 jersey his own.

Clayton Blommetjies - Morgan Piek

“Jooste was good. There were one or two things to work on, including the restart, but there’s always room for improvement,” said Steyn, who wore the No.12 jersey with distinction during his international career.

“I think Jooste can become this team’s first-choice No.12 one day, but he still has to work hard and keep improving because he’s a very good player.

“We had a conversation a few months ago and weren’t entirely sure where we stood with each other, but after the SA Cup and the matches I played there, we know exactly where we stand. There’s always a place for Jooste.

Prince Nkabinde - Morgan Piek

“He has strengths he does really well and he needs to stick to those. If he does that, he’ll be a brilliant centre. I’m looking forward to seeing how he develops when the Currie Cup proper starts. Zander du Plessis is going to have to perform as well, so it’s great to know there’s competition.

“At the start, Jooste made too many mistakes, but now I trust him. If someone goes down, we can throw any player into the mix. We have confidence in the whole squad and we’re not worried about that at all.”

Wednesday’s Toyota Challenge encounter between the Cheetahs and Romania A at the Toyota Stadium kicks off at 18:00.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport