Erasmus wary of old friends

Stormers' coach Rassie Erasmus admits to being nervous before Saturday¿s big Super 14 clash with his former team, the Cheetahs.

Stormers' coach Rassie Erasmus admits to being nervous before Saturday's big Super 14 clash with his former team, the Cheetahs.

Erasmus played for and coached the Cheetahs and he will be coming up against Naka Drotske, a good friend and his team manager while he was coaching in Bloemfontein.

The Cheetahs have won the last two Super 14 clashes between the two teams, with Erasmus as coach, which adds an extra twist to Saturdays encounter.

Both coaches have played down rumours of spies and hidden cameras at training sessions during the week and are looking forward to finally seeing their players on the pitch.

“Yes, I'm always nervous. [But] with the Cheetahs I am a little bit more nervous, because I know the kind of players they are,” Erasmus told the Stormers webiste.

“They are gutsy players and I know how they would be looking forward to this game and how they would have prepared for this game.

“I think it is going to be a big challenge for us – I think more than the people out there realise. I say that because I know the players personally.

“It's lovely – just an intriguing game with me knowing a few facts about them and they definitely knowing lots of things about me. It's a nice challenge.

“We couldn't have asked for a better home game to see whether we've stepped up a notch or two.”

Erasmus said the Stormers would not focus too much on the opponents but rather on their own game.

“The moment you go into those little details you just get strangled there. So we will just focus on our game and plan our game the best we can,” he said.

“One or two things might change in the build-up to the game and during the game, but there won't be too much focus on them.”

He expects the battle at the breakdown to be a critical part of the match.

“We chatted about that this week. The Cheetahs have got many strengths but one of them certainly is the breakdown with Heinrich [Brüssow] and Duanne [Vermeulen], Juan [Smith] and Henro [Scholtz] later being really competitive,” he added.

“The same goes for Meyer Bosman. I know they've put a lot of work into the breakdown when I was there and I am sure they would have continued that.

“We also have wonderful guys and I think the way Jeans [de Villiers] has been playing this year he's been really competitive at the breakdown with our loose-trio and we've also focused on that.

“I'm really happy that we got a ref who doesn't take any nonsense at the breakdown and at scrum time in Mark Lawrence. I've been involved with him when I played and also coached.

“That is an area where he is very clear on everything and it certainly is going to be the big part of the game.”

“It's a funny feeling” said Erasmus of squaring up with Drotske, as they are good friends.

“It's an anticipating feeling that you don't really know what to expect. We've never coached against one another and we've never played against one another.

“We just played with one another, so ja, it's a funny feeling and I guess he's feeling the same. Last year I was involved with the Currie Cup for one or two training sessions when we played them here.

“I know the players, we used to braai together. It's a funny feeling, but the same goes for them, so you cannot say it's a positive or a negative.”