Ruben de Haas of the Cheetahs goes over for one of his team's two tries against the Lions in a Currie Cup match played in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images
The Cheetahs are not “out of it” despite suffering a second straight Currie Cup loss, this time against the Lions in Bloemfontein at the weekend, insisted Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie.
Following their 39-23 loss on Saturday the Cheetahs are now eight points behind the fourth-placed Lions.
“We have four games left of which two are tough home games against Western Province and the Sharks, so we will probably have to win all four,” said Fourie.
“The Sharks, in second place, are probably out of sight, but we believe we can still push for that third or fourth place.”
Fourie however lamented that similar to the Bulls game it was the 10 minutes after the break that cost his team.
“It was more or less the same as what happened the previous week against the Bulls,” he said. “At Loftus it was 13-13 at the break and against the Lions 13-9 and, although we didn’t play well, we were just four points behind,” he said.
Fourie added that in the period after the interval his team conceded too many penalties and line breaks on defence and that the Lions “just outplayed us.”
A lack of discipline has been a problem, too, for the Cheetahs. “It’s been a concern since ProRugby. When you give away penalties you not only concede points, you also give up territory. There wasn’t a lot I was satisfied with about the game,” said Fourie.
The Cheetahs next face the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
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