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Cheetahs face 'tsunami'

Jóhann Thormählen

Bloemfontein – The Cheetahs must prevent a Crusaders wave from gaining momentum and turning into a tsunami in Christchurch on Saturday.

Uncompromising defence will be necessary to prevent the Crusaders from keeping their home Super 14 record intact.

The Crusaders are not just the most successful team in Super rugby, but have never lost at home to a South African team.

On top of that the Cheetahs conceded more than 50 points in both their previous matches in the Crusaders’ backyard. In 2006 they lost 17-53 and in 2008 they went down 7-55.

While many believe a similar result can be expected, the Cheetahs can prevent the Crusaders from registering a bonus point victory with some powerful defence to halt their momentum.

The Cheetahs will miss injured No 8 Frans Viljoen in that regard.

Prior to his injury, Viljoen was a very effective defender. He was also one of the stars of the Free State Cheetahs’ Currie Cup campaign in 2009, with his physicality and defence standout features.

Viljoen made the point that defence remains the key to success in the Super 14 and his teammates will only stake their claim with big hits.
“Defence is definitely the most important aspect of the game in the Super 14,” he said.

“You have to stop a team’s momentum. The moment a team gets momentum, the wave starts.”
 
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