What an opportunity awaits Hawies and his Cheetahs team in Europe

The Cheetahs joining the European Challenge Cup is the best news of the last week.

I am delighted that rugby in the Free State has been given a shot in the arm. I am so happy for the union, the players, coaches and the supporters.

And you could see by some of the videos and tweets doing the rounds on Thursday just what it means to the Cheetahs and their supporters.

Now, the hard work really starts. It is crucial that everything needed to be successful in an international competition of this magnitude is put in place and the players are allowed to thrive in a winning environment.

The good news is the Cheetahs have played in Europe before, as one of the first teams to venture north – in the Pro14. And how well didn’t they do then, an indication they are not too bothered by the travel and foreign conditions.

This though will be slightly different – playing against really settled, strong teams, with depth. And that will be the challenge for Hawies Fourie and his coaching team. But what an opportunity awaits them.

I am so pleased for Hawies. He’s stuck around for a long time, waiting for this chance when he could have walked away. He’s shown what he can do with so few big-name players at the Cheetahs and now he’ll look to take the next step and compete at a higher level. How very exciting.

The Cheetahs though, while still having Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn on their books and senior experienced men like Robert Ebersohn around, will still have to beef up and strengthen. The good news in this regard is the fact Pienaar and Steyn will still be around for a year, hopefully something that will help lure some good quality players to Bloemfontein.

It’s been a really tough few years for the Cheetahs, but now, hopefully, things will turn good for everyone’s favourite second team – if you’re not a first-choice Cheetahs fan already!

Turning to today’s URC quarterfinals, we have two very interesting games in South Africa ahead of us. And while the home teams, the Bulls against the Sharks and the Stormers against Edinburgh, will start as the favourites to win, it wont be easy if that is what transpires.

The Bulls at home will be tough to beat. They’ve played better, more consistent rugby than the Sharks. The only way the visitors to Loftus might get a look in is if they win the scrum battle, but even then, there are more lineouts than scrums in a game nowadays and here the Bulls should dominate.

In Cape Town we have the Stormers up against Edinburgh. The home team should win, but the danger here is the Stormers players losing their focus and thinking a win will come easily. It won’t.

Edinburgh have a knack to be tough to beat and need to be taken seriously. The Stormers will have to be clinical and fire fully to get this one in the bag.