Cheetahs ready to tackle the Force

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Du Randt ready for the trip to Perth

Veteran Springbok prop Os du Randt will be fit and ready to travel with the Cheetahs when they head across the Indian Ocean to face fellow Super 14 newcomers the Western Force in a pre-season fixture in Perth on Saturday.

Du Randt, who left the field in the first half of the Cheetahs' 48-0 victory over the Southern Spears at the weekend, has been cleared to join his teammates for their first trip abroad as a Super 14 franchise.

Cheetahs team manager Naka Drotske said on Sunday that Du Rant was taken from the field in Port Elizabeth "only as precaution" and that the injury was not serious.

Another injury concern, that of hat-trick hero and man-of-the-match Kabamba Floors, has also been cleared up. He too will make the trip to Perth.

Drotske said the Cheetahs were happy with their performance in Port Elizabeth against a very resolute Spears outfit, with the defence in particular a pleasing aspect of the Cheetahs' game.

"The fact that we prevented them from scoring a try is very pleasing," Drotske told this website.

"Defence is going to be very important in the Super 14 and that is one of the aspects we focussed on. It was very pleasing that we kept them out."

He added that the Cheetahs achieved all the goals they had set out and as a pre-season game the trip to Port Elizabeth had served its purpose.

Having scored eight tries without reply, the Cheetahs showed they will not be just a defensive unit ... although they can "tackle" any opposition.

But the goal-kicking of fly-half Willem de Waal, who succeeded with just four of his eight conversion attempts, and the discipline of some players will be cause for concern.

Lock Ockert van Zyl and the Cheetahs' Samoan hooker Trevor Leota were both yellow carded late in the game.

But the Cheetahs still have this coming Saturday's encounter in Perth (against the Force) and the game against Treviso in Welkom a week later to sort out any problem areas.

Coach Rassie Erasmus will continue to rotate players and give all his squad members as much game time as possible.

By Jan de Koning

John Mitchell and Rassie Erasmus on 6PR
19/1/2006 - 8:00pm

882 6PR, 8.00pm - 9.00pm

Emirates Western Force coach John Mitchell and Central Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus will be guests on 6PR this Thursday between 8.00pm and 9.00pm. Join Mick Colliss as hey discusses this Saturday's trial game and other rugby topics with Mitchell, Erasmus and some special friends.

Also, the Emirates Western Force will be having public training sessions on Monday January 23, from 4.00pm-5.00pm, and Sunday February 5 from 9.00am-10.00am. These sessions are at Rugby Park.

They're gonna want to win now, be a bit embarassing if they lose to our A's!

Expect baptism of fire: Leota


Thursday, January 19, 2006


Fearsome Samoan hooker Trevor Leota has warned Australian rugby's new boys, the Western Force, to expect a baptism of fire when they step over the white line for the first time on Saturday.

Leota, 30, will comprise part of one of Super 14's mightiest front rows, when he lines up alongside Ollie Le Roux and Os Du Randt for South Africa's Central Cheetahs, the Forces' opponents for this weekend's pre-season match in Perth.

And although none of the three have been named in the Cheetah's starting XV by coach Rassie Erasmus, all are likely to feature at some stage.

In contrast to Force coach John Mitchell, whose burgeoning team will not include any of its Wallaby stars on Saturday, Erasmus will field a strong side, including Springbok Meyer Bosman, All Black Keith Lowen and the mercurial Gaffie du Toit.

And Leota said the added pressure of relegation from the Super 14 competition for the lowest ranked South African side this year would see every game, even friendlies, treated with utmost seriousness.

"The biggest thing is relegation and whoever drops out, then that is it, so we have got that at the back of our minds. In the first year, we don't want to be relegated. That is a lot of pressure," Leota said.

"We will still respect them (the Force), Wallabies or no Wallabies. Everyone is going to get a run, but we want to win, definitely."

The Cheetahs showed their intentions clearly, with a 48-0 demolition of South African rivals the Southern Spears last weekend, which included a yellow card for the 125kg Leota.

And coach Erasmus said despite his rotation of the squad for Saturday's game, his and the players' minds would always be focused knowing they could lose their spot in the Super 14, to make way for the emerging Spears in 2007.

"It is the same for the other four franchises, it is a fair system, and if it helps bring our country forward then we are all for it," Erasmus said.

Leota, who represented Samoa in the 1999 World Cup, joined the Cheetahs last year after eight years at English club London Wasps, and admits such an opportunity at this stage of his career was a welcome surprise.

"It is more like Christmas present for me to have these two guys (Le Roux and Du Randt) around me," Leota said after arriving in Perth today.

"I played with probably half these guys for the Barbarians (before I got here), but coming here is a new challenge and a rebirth for me in a way."

"The guys are gelling really well. We are from three different provinces so we thought there would be trouble, but the boys have done really well."

AAP

Quote:

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Originally Posted by no.8

John Mitchell and Rassie Erasmus on 6PR
19/1/2006 - 8:00pm

882 6PR, 8.00pm - 9.00pm

Emirates Western Force coach John Mitchell and Central Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus will be guests on 6PR this Thursday between 8.00pm and 9.00pm. Join Mick Colliss as hey discusses this Saturday's trial game and other rugby topics with Mitchell, Erasmus and some special friends.

Also, the Emirates Western Force will be having public training sessions on Monday January 23, from 4.00pm-5.00pm, and Sunday February 5 from 9.00am-10.00am. These sessions are at Rugby Park.

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