Naka: More of the same please
Cape Town - Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has called on his pack of forwards to play with the same intensity against the Sharks as they in the second half against the Stormers.
The Cheetahs trailed 16-0 at half-time at Newlands last week but came out a completely different side in the second period, dominating the Stormers up front. In the end they were perhaps a tad unlucky to lose 16-14.
This weekend they host the Sharks in Bloemfontein and the coach wants a repeat of that second half in Cape Town.
"We dominated in the second half at Newlands and would need to do the same against the Sharks," he told Volksblad
The Sharks themselves boast a pretty impressive pack. With prop Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira, flank Jean Deysel and eighthman Ryan Kankowski all back from injury, they are sure to pose a big threat to the men from Bloemfontein. The fact that Springbok loose forward Willem Alberts failed to make their 22-man squad the last two weeks is testimony of their quality.
Drotské expects the Sharks to come with a physical onslaught and especially to target the breakdown area. The Sharks have played Deysel and Kankowski as impact loosies in the last while, which means Cheetahs loose forward Ashley Johnson will again play a big role as impact player off the bench.
The Cheetahs currently lie in 10th position on 27 points, with the Sharks holding the last playoff spot at sixth on 36 points.
A loss for Drotské's men would surely mean the end of any slim hopes they still had of reaching the playoffs.