Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has revealed that the Cheetahs still suffer from the same problems that caused him to swap Bloemfontein for Cape Town.
Erasmus feels that the squad depth at the Free State franchise was simply not deep enough while he was at the helm, and that was the main reason that made him consider offers to coach with other Super 14 franchises.
Rugby 365 reports that Erasmus told OFM Sport, “It is a difficult year for the Cheetahs,”.
“The same reasons that made me leave the Cheetahs, continue to be the problem. The Cheetahs don’t have enough depth. And they also don’t have the money to buy that depth,” said the Stormers coach.
Erasmus went on to explain that during his spell as coach, the Cheetahs performed reasonably well in the Super 14, but as soon as injuries became a telling factor around the halfway mark of the competition, it spelled the end for the Cheetahs.
Coach Naka Drotské has had similar fortunes this season with the Bloemfontein-based franchise.
Both Erasmus and Drotské won the Currie Cup in their first seasons at the helm of the Cheetahs. But Drotské is now struggling in the Super 14 season that follows that Currie Cup victory, just as Erasmus did before him.
It is certainly not because they are poor coaches. In fact, Erasmus has proved at the Stormers this season that with enough depth and the financial backing to buy the right players, he is one of the best technical coaches in world rugby.
Drotské in turn can count excellent man-management skills amongst his strong points.
Both Erasmus and Drotské are not ones to look for excuses when things don’t go to plan. But when someone like Erasmus gives a neutral perspective from outside the Cheetahs sphere, that one realises the daunting task that Drotské faced, considering the lengthy injury list at the Cheetahs.
Drotské had to make do without the following players for one or more matches: Bevin Fortuin (Springbok fullback), Gavin Passens (Bok wing), Jacques-Louis Potgieter (flyhalf), Juan Smith (Bok flank and captain), Kabamba Floors (Bok flank), Barend Pieterse (Bok lock), Kobus Calldo (prop) and CJ van der Linde (Bok prop).
Despite this critical injury list, Drotské did not complain about his fate. He has also had to cope this season after watching a massive number of experienced, quality players depart the Free State for greener pastures.
The coach has also had to rebuild his team after the following players became unavailable for the Cheetahs’ Super 14 campaign since last year: Zane Kirchner (Griquas fullback, Bulls), Tiger Mangweni (Griquas fullback, Blue Bulls), Philip Burger (Free State wing, Perpignan), Ronnie Cooke (Griquas centre, Brive), Marius Joubert (Free State centre, Clermont), Willem de Waal (Free State flyhalf, Narbonne), Michael Claassens (Free State scrumhalf, Bath), Bian Vermaak (Free State forward, overseas), Gareth Krause (Griquas loose forward, overseas), Ryno van der Merwe (Free State eighthman, Brive), Corniel van Zyl (Free State lock, Treviso), Jannie du Plessis (Free State prop, Sharks), Ollie le Roux (Free State prop, Leinster) en Os du Randt (Free State prop, retired).
Tweet
Not exactly rocket-science now is it. 🙄
But that is surely a long list of players lost. 😯
Jissus… too many!
Erasmus went on to explain that during his spell as coach, the Cheetahs performed reasonably well in the Super 14, but as soon as injuries became a telling factor around the halfway mark of the competition, it spelled the end for the Cheetahs.
Coach Naka Drotské has had similar fortunes this season with the Bloemfontein-based franchise.
Only picked up problems at the halfway mark?
Am I the only one to see that they’ve only won one game this season?
I think you need to keep one eye closed when reading this piece.
How is that Rat-boy, Philip Burger doing in France?
Vinnie
I think Naka’s halfway mark came at Game 1.
Their problem is depth, but that is caused by lack of funds. Why can’t the Cheetahs find a decent sponsor?
Because their “brains trust” has the collective business sense of a field of vrot mielies!
They certainly look like rectifying their structures. Playing in the Vodacup final after beating WP on Newlands and starting their own academy in Bloem. They lost a lot of players like above qouted by their secret will be to hold on their own talent like the WP do at the moment. Give them a year or two and you’ll see the dividends. I mean they produce two exciting youngsters like Vermeulen & Brussouw.
The brain trust maybe like a field of vrot mielies but like the young mielies grow quality rugby players year after year.
PaarlBok – just the guy I was looking for. You know anything about an ex-Gimmies flyhalf who’s currenty in the Wildebeest squad?
Vermeulen is from Nelspruit Hoer…
Chris Jordaan – that’s the guy.
Name?
The good Gimmie flyhalfs I know out of the duim is Ricardo Croy playing for WP and Andre Smit played for RAU in Bobbejaansberg.
If you can get hold of this two you do have some talent on your hands.
see above – Chris Jordaan is his name
PaarlBok, what year were you at PaarlGym?
Of the current Cheetahs backs, Daniller, Passens, Fredericks, Bosman nd Potgieter were born and/or schooled outside of the Free State
No maybe he was a bit before I got to Paarl. Only arrived her from 2000. But if he played Gimmies first XV he should be good. SlapChips did not make Gim first XV when he was here at school.
I do know Gimmies legend coach Frikkie van Zyl, now coaching Boland Landbou and he should give you a very good view of all those players.
Le Req I am a born and bred Namaqualander. Now a big Gimmie supporter due to my kids attending there.
i see …. 😀
he might not have played first XV… 😉
Rob, you seem to like gardening… how do I get rid of aphids without investing in an environment damaging insecticide? 👿 ❓
ladybirds 😉
Or you could try wash them off.
or you could look here: http://www.ehow.com/how_4030_rid-aphids-naturally.html
😯
Shock, horror – gardening!!! Eeeek!
And I thought I was pushing it with ranting on about hunting on the other site… 😎
Kidding, nothing like a green garden to make a house a home. Hate these new places with not even a shrub in sight, nevermind a tree.
I love trees… they make me feel human
in fact, that’s one of the best things about living in the UK
Hmmm, which part(s) of which tree do you prefer Rob…would living in Holland not be better then!
Then you should have been ecstatic in Poland.
Didn’t see many in inner Warsaw
Not one for the high life!
Am planning a trip to Camobodia soon to sample some of their “happy pizzas”… apparently they put a little more than tomato paste on their base…
As for the trees – I dig trees. Especially big ones. And there’s no shortage of trees where I live either… time for an afternoon tree hug me thinks… 🙂
Hmmm, which part(s) of which tree do you prefer Rob…would living in Holland not be better then!
Comment 27 of 31, posted at 07.05.08 17:38:53 by Namboer Edit
lol. Boom. That’s classic.
Camobodia?