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The Cheetahs start their overseas tour with a tough Super Rugby assignment against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.
It's the first home game of the season for the defending champions since beating the Sharks in the final at the same venue last year.
And the Chiefs will be out to bag maximum points for the second week in a row after opening their 2013 account with a highly entertaining win over the Highlanders in Dunedin, showing they've lost none of the attacking prowess that was on show in 2012.
The bonus-point win also made it clear that Dave Rennie's free-running troops will once again be serious contenders for the title.
What would have pleased Rennie - but not many fantasy league players at the time - was the kicking performance of Gareth Anscombe. The discarded Blues player was elected to kick at goal ahead of Aaron Cruden and didn't disappoint after contributing 21 points, whilst relieving the pressure off Aaron Cruden in that department at the same time.
Now the Chiefs turn their attention to the Cheetahs - a team who, like their Kiwi opposition, like to give the ball plenty of air. Indeed, if both side's reputations are anything to go by, then we should be in for a great attacking spectacle as witnessed in last season's exciting duel in Bloemfontein (won 39-33 by the Chiefs).
Whilst the Cheetahs enter this clash as massive underdogs, they showed in last week's loss to the Sharks that they won't go down without a fight. After trailing 5-26 early in the second half, they oozed bucket-loads of spirit by reducing the deficit to just four points before a late Sharks penalty sealed the win.
It wasn't an ideal start to lose at home before jetting off on a daunting road trip of Australasia, but at least they didn't leave empty-handed.
The Cheetahs will also be bouyed by the fact that they know how to win on New Zealand soil, having recorded their first ever win in the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' last year. With two wins, and two losing bonus points, it was their most successful overseas trip ever and Naka Drotske will be hoping his team can pull off the same feat.
The Cheetahs last visit to Hamilton (in 2010) was also a memorable one for the South African franchise. They didn't win, but didn't lose either - with the match ending in a draw.
Prediction: A Cheetahs win over the defending champions at home seems highly unlikely. But if the visitors can manage a similar result to the one recorded three years ago, it will be a massive achievement. Though we don't see that happening either, with a losing bonus point the best the Cheetahs can realistically hope for. Chiefs by 12!
Chiefs: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam (c), 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Michael Fitzgerald, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Pauliasi Manu.
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Ben Tameifuna, 18 Craig Clarke, 19 Tanerau Latimer, 20 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21 Charlie Ngatai, 22 Patrick Osborn
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Landman Ligtoring, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Riaan Smit, 22 Ryno Benjamin.
Date: Saturday, March 2
Kick-off: 19:35 (06:35 GMT)
Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Television match official: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
By Dave Morris
Comments
kaitangsou says...
Cheetahs to win!!
They will bully upfront, and then run around or simply throught he defence.
Goosen also has a deadly boot, and maybe 3 quick droppies...Vrystaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 17:22 01st March 2013
ben7 says...
I love the Cheetahs, one of my favourite teams but they wont win. Had they arrived a week earlier or played an Aussie team on the way to break the journey i would give them a decent chance though. They really need Brussow, Oosthuizen and Juan Smith in the forwards as their backs are awesome as they are, particularly with Goosen, Le Roux and Pretorius.
GO CHEETAHS! GOOD LUCK!.... but......
Chiefs 40 Cheetahs 22
Posted 10:57 01st March 2013
ben7 says...
@passtheball
I will admit that the Stormers are very boring on attack but seeing that the Bulls were top try scorers in 2009, 2010 and second in 2012 and the Sharks were in the top 3 last year the Cheetahs aren't the only good attacking SA team
Posted 10:50 01st March 2013
carpelone says...
kiwidiver
Hallelujah and praise the Lord. At last, some nice comments from a New Zealander.
This will be entertaining, it is always difficult to travel east bound, I hated every seconds when I had to travel to South Korea or India for business. The trip eastbound always reduces the performance of a South African team in the first game of an Australasian tour.
Chiefs by some margins, the Cheetahs to produce some brilliant rugby when they will wake up.
Chiefs 3 or 4 tries - Cheetahs 2
Posted 10:11 01st March 2013
kiwidiver says...
Cheese and rice it makes me nervous when a side like the Cheetahs is written off before the match has even begun. Just hope the Chiefs aren't thinking that way!
The Cheetahs have shown how deadly they can be on offense, and despite being a Kiwi myself, I'm pretty convinced that most of the Kiwi sides could learn a thing or two about defense form the SA conference. Definitely will be a scorefest though
Posted 20:23 28th February 2013
UBA05 says...
Whilst most will tell you Blues v Crusaders, for any fan of all-out attacking rugby, THIS is the MUST-WATCH game of this round.
Not sure about clarke on the bench, his line-out calling is always good & fitzgerald is a bit of a hot head, agreed on Pulu, he looks sharp and barlow hasnt shown any of his last year's superxv form since it ended. Very hapy with masaga starting (i sadly dont rate osbourne at all) as he looked sharp when he came on now If only he can find even half of his 2009 form this season....... Manu had better have sorted out his scrummaging issues this week.
Cant see the cheetahs winning this as they will probably go on an all out attack and their defence is not always well co-ordinated, whilst most SA teams wouldnt be able to take advantage of this on the counterattack, this is the chiefs!
Watch out! This match will probably be the spectacle of the weekend and i for one cant wait.
Posted 12:41 28th February 2013
passtheball says...
The travel may take some sting out of the Cheetahs who are easily the most entertaining side from SA - not much competition there though. Looking forward to see what Pulu offers and some of the other new squad members.
Posted 12:00 28th February 2013
Trinats2 says...
Easy 5 points for the Chiefs.
Posted 11:16 28th February 2013