Frans Steyn, the tenacious coach of the Cheetahs, is pretty much turning their embarrassing defeat at the hands of Griquas into a ghost story that haunts the team's locker room. He’s made it clear that the memory of their 40-10 thrashing during the August clash will be a permanent fixture in their minds, especially as they gear up for a redemption shot in the upcoming Currie Cup semi-final against the same team in Kimberley.
“After that game, I told the guys that it is going to stick with you forever while I am here,” Steyn remarked with a tone that probably had his players checking under their beds at night.
“Every time we think we are too good, I am going to pull that game out of the archives.”
Indeed, the sting of the loss seems to be Steyn’s favorite motivational whip. The early game errors that cost them dearly are not something he’s prepared to let slide into oblivion. “We made some silly mistakes and individual errors, and it cost us in the first 20 minutes. Hopefully we can fix that and it can be tighter,” he added, hopeful yet cautious.The road to the semi-finals wasn’t exactly paved with glory for the Cheetahs. They barely scraped into the playoffs, clutching at two losing bonus points from their last-ditch 35-31 defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria. While Steyn admits the team isn’t out of the woods yet, don’t expect any drastic changes in their strategy. “You are not going to fix it in a week. We have to do whatever we can, and hopefully our stuff is in place and we focus on what we do well and what makes us great. That will be the message from me this week,” he stated, showing a blend of realism and optimism.
Meanwhile, the Griquas aren’t resting on their laurels either. They’ve made a strategic fullback change and bolstered their bench, possibly in anticipation of a fiercer challenge from the Cheetahs this time around. The stage is set for what promises to be a gripping rematch, where the Cheetahs seek not just victory but vindication.