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Ashely Johnson of the Cheetahs - Source: Photosport
Best Super Rugby Performance: 7th (1997)
2011 Super Rugby: 11th (five-wins,
11-losses)
History: 10th, 11th, 13th, 11th, 10th, 11th
TAB: $60.00
In: Marnitz Boshoff, Jacques Coetzee, Willie le
Roux, Andries Ferreira, Janro van Niekerk.
Out: Skipper Badenhorst, Naas Oliver, Sarel
Pretorius, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Lois Strydom, Frans Viljoen, Riaan
Viljoen.
One of the surprises packages of last season - remember they beat
the Crusaders and pushed the Blues all the way in Whangarei - are
promising bigger and better things in 2012. While the loss of
influential halfback Sarel Pretorius to the Waratahs is a blow,
Cheetahs fans will be hoping young first five-eighth Johan Goosen
continues his development after impressing in last season's Curry
Cup. The forward pack is heavily reliant on flanker Heinrich
Brussow and Ashley Johnson but if Juan Smith can return from a
troublesome Achilles injury, they will boast a truly world class
loose forward trio.
Verdict: The Cheetahs were the second best
attacking team in Super Rugby last year but if they want to make
the playoffs for the first time in franchise history they need to
add some defensive steel.
Conference prediction:
3rd
Overall prediction: 8th
Cheetahs: Lourens Adriaanse, WP Nel, Trevor
Nyakane, Marcel van der Merwe, Hercu Liebenberg, Adriaan Strauss,
George Earle, Andries Ferreira, François Uys, Izak van der
Westhuizen Heinrich Brussow, Justin Downey, Ashley Johnson, Pieter
Labuschagne, Davon Raubenheimer, Philip van der Walt, Tewis De
Bruyn, Pieter van Zyl, Sias Ebersohn, Johan Goosen, Robert
Ebersohn, Barry Geel, Philip Snyman, Andries Strauss, Rayno
Benjamin, Cameron Jacobs, Rocco Jansen, Dusty Noble, Hennie
Daniller, Willie Le Roux.