The international break in the southern hemisphere is done and dusted, and it’s time for the Super Rugby to resume.
The 15-team competition somewhat just appeared nowhere last weekend when the Australian and New Zealand conferences resumed proceedings, following the Wallabies and All Blacks internationals against France and England respectively.
This weekend the South African conference takes centre stage with two mouth-watering derbies. Proceedings kick off in Cape Town when the battling Stormers square off against the Bulls in the big North-South derby, while the Toyota Cheetahs are in action against the Sharks in Bloemfontein.
The Cheetahs will feel they can upset the Sharks’ applecart due to the fact that they’ve had a week’s extra rest, players have returned from injury and they can boast with no less than seven Springboks who beat Scotland 55-6 in Port Elizabeth last week.
Speaking of Courant, Cheetahs’ coach Naka Drotské said they were over the moon with the Cheetahs’ large representation in the last test of the incoming series.
"We’re really proud of the guys. Seven players in the group of twenty-three. If Johan Goosen wasn’t injured, we would have had eight players. They deserved the change, they’ve really played well," said the proud coach.
The side will be without their Griquas contingent for the remainder of their Super Rugby campaign, due to the side from Kimberley playing in the Currie Cup Premier Division qualifiers. Drotské feels the experience Springboks gained in the national camp will make up for this chink in their armour.
"The experience they gained there will really be of value this week," said Drotské.
The side will, however, be without the services of Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow, who sustained a groin niggle, and they are also still sweating over the fitness of flyhalf Johan Goosen and Coenie Oosthuizen.
Having said that, they do, however, have a whole host of players returning from injury this weekend, including lock Lood de Jager who impressed for the Springboks last week with this two tries against the Scottishb team.
"We lost a few quality players in our team due to injury (before the international break). Guys like Lodewyk de Jager are back, Philip van der Walt is back and Sarel Pretorius will also be ready," the coach confirmed.
"We were under a little pressure with the injuries, but everybody will be back against the Sharks, and that’s a huge relief," Drotské concluded.
All the pressure will be on the men from Durban this weekend in their attempt to secure a spot in the play-offs, and the Cheetahs have nothing to lose. This is the perfect recipe for an interesting match.
Saturday evening’s match at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein kicks off at 19:10.
