The Toyota Cheetahs are under pressure to register a win against the Oyonnax professional rugby union club in France to earn a slot in the playoff stages with the other team in the running for a spot in the round of 16, the Dragons from Wales, playing in the last match of the weekend on Sunday, 21 January.
The team’s inability to convert try-scoring opportunities into points came at a big cost for the Free Staters after they suffered a 33 – 20 loss against Section Paloise in their European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) challenge match in Amsterdam on Sunday, 14 January.
The French outfit took a 14 – 0 lead early in the game, after scoring two converted tries, which put the Free Staters on the back foot early on. The local lads are compelled to unleash their best in order to secure positive results.
This must-win game for the Cheetahs will alleviate the immense pressure following their loss to Section Paloise, who were too good. The visitors scored their third try with six minutes left on the clock and the successful conversion saw them take a 33 – 20 lead, which they managed to hold onto until the final whistle, handing the Bloemfontein team their first defeat in the competition.
The Cheetahs are forced to minimize blunders to ensure success away and keep alive aspiration to progress further in the competition. Victory will ensure the Bloemfontein-based outfit remains intact in this international competition.
The Cheetahs are currently in the second place on the log table and three points adrift the current log leaders. The Sharks are in pool A of the competition, and have 12 points while the Cheetahs boast nine.
The hosts, Oyonnax, are rooted at the bottom of the log, standing with a single point from matches played thus far. Given the scenario, the Free State side have a good chance to atone and ascend the log table and further intensify their chances to progress further in the tournament.
