Cape Town - Cheetahs captain Shaun Venter has urged his players put their holiday thoughts aside when they tackle Irish club Connacht in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
It will be the Cheetahs’ final match of the year, before they restart their campaign against Zebre in Italy on January 6.
It’s been a tough campaign thus far for the Cheetahs, who have won only two out of nine games.
“I think this weekend will be more of a psychological battle than anything else. It could be attributed to the fact that it’s our last game of the year and that everyone is looking forward to a break. But hopefully the guys don’t play like they’ve got their feet in the sand. A victory would make the holiday so much sweeter,” Venter told Netwerk24.
In their previous meeting with Connacht in Bloemfontein in March, the Cheetahs sneaked a 26-25 win courtesy of a last-gasp penalty.
“I think if we take our chances early in the game and score points early, we’ll put them under pressure. We have the right plan to beat teams, but it’s little errors at the wrong times that put us under pressure,” Venter added.
Connacht are currently third in Conference A, having won five of nine games, while the Cheetahs are second from bottom.
Both team line-ups will be confirmed on Friday, with kick-off at the Free State Stadium scheduled for 17:00.