CHEETAHS captain Adriaan Strauss revealed the gameplan his team are employing could be undermining their accuracy, which has resulted in them losing six out of eight games.
The Cheetahs have reverted to an all-out attacking mindset in 2014, which has seen them score some wonderful tries, but they have also leaked 35 tries in eight matches.
The next-worse in the competition are the Highlanders, who have conceded 21 tries.
Constant turnover of possession has hurt the Cheetahs as well as impatience on attack. They have conceded 303 points in eight matches and have twice leaked more than 50 points in a game this season.
“There isn’t one area we can identify as the weakness in our game,” said Strauss.
“We’re unable to pinpoint one aspect and say, ‘we’ve had ten of these for the last few weeks,’ so it’s difficult.
“But I believe it has to do with the way we play. We have players who can create something out of nothing but we have to do it at the right time. We are able and capable of looking after the ball but we need to be sharper and more focused.
“Defensively we’re also a bit different. Last year we were able to slow ball using double hits which gave us a chance to reset our defensive line. This year we’re giving yards away and it creates problems because we’re on the backfoot.”
Coach Naka Drotske believes their defensive frailties are a result of over-eagerness on attack rather than system weaknesses.
“Defence is a concern but you need the right stats and look at it in perspective,” said Drotske.
“A lot of the tries we’ve conceded are from turnovers when we couldn’t hang on to the ball on attack.
“Last year we often took the ball through 10 phases but this year we’re getting turned over frequently.
“On our recent tour we conceded 19 tries and 10 of those started with us on attack.
“There is little or no structure from turnovers. We have too many soft moments and we need to start with the basics again.
“We are trying to attack too early.
“The first half against the Chiefs (the Cheetahs ran into a 34-10 lead) was the perfect example of how we can play.”
Cheetahs paying penalty for a wayward attacking style
The Cheetahs have reverted to an all-out attacking mindset in 2014, which has seen them score some wonderful tries, but they have also leaked 35 tries in eight matches.
The next-worse in the competition are the Highlanders, who have conceded 21 tries.
Constant turnover of possession has hurt the Cheetahs as well as impatience on attack. They have conceded 303 points in eight matches and have twice leaked more than 50 points in a game this season.
“There isn’t one area we can identify as the weakness in our game,” said Strauss.
“We’re unable to pinpoint one aspect and say, ‘we’ve had ten of these for the last few weeks,’ so it’s difficult.
“But I believe it has to do with the way we play. We have players who can create something out of nothing but we have to do it at the right time. We are able and capable of looking after the ball but we need to be sharper and more focused.
“Defensively we’re also a bit different. Last year we were able to slow ball using double hits which gave us a chance to reset our defensive line. This year we’re giving yards away and it creates problems because we’re on the backfoot.”
Coach Naka Drotske believes their defensive frailties are a result of over-eagerness on attack rather than system weaknesses.
“Defence is a concern but you need the right stats and look at it in perspective,” said Drotske.
“A lot of the tries we’ve conceded are from turnovers when we couldn’t hang on to the ball on attack.
“Last year we often took the ball through 10 phases but this year we’re getting turned over frequently.
“On our recent tour we conceded 19 tries and 10 of those started with us on attack.
“There is little or no structure from turnovers. We have too many soft moments and we need to start with the basics again.
“We are trying to attack too early.
“The first half against the Chiefs (the Cheetahs ran into a 34-10 lead) was the perfect example of how we can play.”
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