Cheetahs working on their defence

Cape Town - The Cheetahs know they have to improve their defence if they are to stand any chance of beating the Lions in their Super Rugby clash in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The men from Bloemfontein have struggled with their defence in recent times and it was again an area of concern in their clash against the Sunwolves in Singapore last weekend.

The Cheetahs had to overcome a 31-13 deficit to beat the Japanese team, but four first half tries against them made things difficult.

Cheetahs defence coach Charl Strydom told Netwerk24 that it’s time the players take responsibility.

According to Strydom, missing first-time tackles is proving their undoing too often.

“If it happens in our own 22, then tries are scored against us. The message this week is that every player must take ownership and responsibility for those tackles.”

Saturday’s clash in Johannesburg is scheduled for 17:05.