The Cheetahs are coming off a disappointing 45-29 defeat to the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington and will be eager to set the record straight against the team from North West.

Their clash with the Leopards carries extra significance, as they aim to build confidence ahead of what promises to be a challenging trip to Nelspruit next week, where they will face the 2024 runners-up, the Pumas.

Cheetahs scrumhalf Smiley Nel, who bagged a brace in the second half against Boland, is set to start again. Speaking to OFM Sport, Nel emphasised the importance of stepping up against the Leopards and carrying the positives from their improved second-half performance in Wellington.

“It was a tough first half for us, but in the second half, I just focused on my basics and tried to help us move forward and build momentum,” said Nel.

“When we scored three times, it looked fantastic. I thought we dominated Boland in that second half up to a point, but then that one momentum shift, where they picked up the ball and scored, broke us a bit. Other than that, we looked much better after the break.

Ali Mgijima will make his return from injury off the bench. Photo: Morgan Piek

“I think it’s going to be a tough game. We need to be physical enough to beat them, but if we stick to our processes and execute properly, we should put them to the sword. The key thing is to gain momentum for the Pumas game.”

Friday night’s match between the Cheetahs and Leopards at Toyota Stadium kicks off at 18:00.

Cheetahs - 15 Jasper Cohen, 14 Prince Nkabinde,13 Raegan Oranje, 12 Jooste Nel, 11 Banie Britz, 10 George Lourens, 9 Jandre Nel, 8 Pierre Uys, 7 Neels Volschenk, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Pieter Janse van Vuuren, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Chucky van der Westhuizen (captain), 1 Hencus van Wyk

Replacements - 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Dux Manyama, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Jeandré Rudolph, 21 Litha Nkula, 22 Ali Mgijima, 23 Michael Annies

Leopards - 15 Lwandile Mapuko, 14 Sino Tshontyi, 13 André Grobler, 12 Mihlali Nchukana, 11 Clyde Lewis, 10 Charles Williams, 9 Sylvester Hassien, 8 Gcino Mdletshe, 7 Ghudian Van Reenen, 6 Uzile Tele, 5 Chris Van Heerden, 4 Imaad Phillips, 3 Ig Prinsloo (captain), 2 Jason Alexander, 1 Tatenda Chayayi

Replacements - 16 Liyema Mgwigwi, 17 Dima Lebelo, 18 Michael Ryan, 19 Lood Prins, 20 Arminn Posthumus, 21 Eben Verster, 22 Izak Smith, 23 Shaun Baxter

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg