Cheetahs fall prey to their own success

The Cheetahs are suffering because their top players are doing so well on the international scene.

As they prepare to face the Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday, in a game that could mean the end of their domestic season, they are counting the cost of losing Willie le Roux, Coenie Oosthuizen and Cornal Hendricks to Springbok contracts.

Not too long ago they and the Lions were two teams almost guaranteed to keep the majority of their top Super rugby players for the Currie Cup, but a breakthrough Super rugby season last year changed things for the men from Bloemfontein. They are victims of their own progress.

Le Roux has set himself apart as the star Bok fullback - good enough to rival the best No15s in the world - while Hendricks has been branded the find of the season.

So good has Hendricks been that JP Pietersen may as well have been left to be Godzilla in Japan.

At least Trevor Nyakane, Lood de Jager and Oupa Mohoje are back to add muscle - albeit too late.

Coach Rory Duncan wasted little time in drafting them into the starting lineup.

De Jager started the first two Rugby Championship games against Argentina, while Nyakane made all of his five appearances from the bench, clocking just 43 minutes of game time.

Mohoje had to wait for the home leg of the tournament against Australia and New Zealand to play and started in the victories in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

It could be too late for the latecomers to affect the outcome. Even if the Cheetahs beat the Lions by 100 points it will not be enough to take them into the semifinals if the Blue Bulls beat Griquas at Loftus on the same day.