Cheetah's entry into the Pro14 next month excites the team

Trepidation? Not so much. It is rather in the grips of anticipation that Cheetahs' coach Rory Duncan finds himself ahead of his team's demanding entry into the Pro14 next month.

The Cheetahs' first two matches upon entry into the tournament are away against Irish powerhouses Ulster and Munster.

“I'm quite excited by that. It gives you the chance to get stuck in at the start of the tournament.

"Those are two quality sides. The point is we are going to face everybody anyway‚ so in the end the order doesn't matter‚” reasoned Duncan.

In the third week of the competition the Cheetahs return home for a gentler assignment against the Italian outfit Zebre.

Duncan is hoping by then the Cheetahs would have made a mark in the Pro14 as well as the Currie Cup‚ which they started with a bang before losing momentum in recent weeks.

“We still want to perform in both competitions. Our depth will definitely be tested. We'll have to have two full squads.

“When we go on tour with 27 players. It's a tough one. We will have to rely on young players.”

With that in mind‚ Duncan explained that loaning players from other unions came at a cost.

“When you loan players you still have to pay them. We have to stick inside our budget. We will recruit accordingly.”

While he couldn't tailor his team for what they are likely to face in Europe when they last completed contract negotiations‚ Duncan concedes the Cheetahs in future will have to find players suited to those conditions.

“We will lean towards contracting in that way. With the players we are bringing in now that was the thinking‚” he said of two imminent signings the Cheetahs are unable to reveal.

“We must still however contract for two different competitions which means you are still going to contract a large chunk of your squad the way you would normally.

The coach echoed earlier sentiments of Cheetahs director of rugby Franco Smith‚ who was firm in his belief the Cheetahs don't have to dramatically alter their free running playing style in European conditions that demand a higher level of pragmatism.

Duncan did concede the team will have to 'adjust' to the conditions. “Conditions will determine that. We will probably lean more towards a kicking game in Europe but we use the same flexibility when we play in wet weather in South Africa.”

The Cheetahs meanwhile‚ have made a raft of changes for Saturday's Currie Cup clash against the Blue Bulls at Loftus.

Francois Venter who is back from the Springboks‚ Ox Nché‚ Tom Botha‚ Rynier Bernardo‚ Gerhard Olivier‚ Oupa Mohoje‚ William Small-Smith and Sergeal Petersen are the changes to the starting line-up.

- TimesLIVE