In the 2019–20 rugby union season, the participated in the 2019–20 Pro14 competition, their third appearance since joining the competition in 2017–18. They remained in Conference A of the competition, which in 2019–20 featured Irish sides and , Italian side , Scottish side and Welsh sides and .

Personnel

Coaches and management

The Cheetahs coaching and management staff for the 2019–20 Pro14 season are:

2019–20 Cheetahs coaches and management Position Name Head coach Franco Smith Hawies Fourie Lineout coach Corniel van Zyl Defence coach Charl Strydom Assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa Skills and kicking coach Albert Keuris Conditioning coach Quintin Kruger Team manager Ashwell Rafferty Performance analyst Renaldo Meyer

Squad

The Cheetahs squad for the 2019–20 Pro14 is:

2019–20 Cheetahs squad Player Position/s Date of birth (age) Pro14 Cheetahs Apps Pts Apps Pts Hooker – – – – Scrum-half – – – – Wing 9 20 9 20 Lock 25 0 25 0 Fullback 21 35 15 30 Fullback – – – – Prop 43 0 43 0 Centre / wing 1 0 1 0 Loose forward 4 0 4 0 Prop 13 5 13 5 Scrum-half – – – – Prop 8 0 8 0 Lock 20 0 20 0 Hooker 19 30 19 30 Fly-half / fullback 14 27 14 27 Prop – – – – Fullback 18 35 18 35 Centre 25 39 20 35 Prop 1 0 1 0 Flank – – – – Scrum-half – – – – Flank 10 15 10 15 Fullback – – – – Lock 14 5 14 5 Prop 39 0 39 0 Flank – – – – Wing 28 95 28 95 Scrum-half 32 15 32 15 Flank 17 10 17 10 Prop – – – – Prop 38 25 38 25 Flank 16 10 16 10 Flank 19 10 19 10 Scrum-half 100 659 – – Flank 27 20 27 20 Wing – – – – Fly-half 21 134 21 134 Wing / centre 34 51 34 51 Centre – – – – Outside back 4 5 4 5 Lock 20 10 20 10 Centre 8 5 8 5 Hooker 9 0 9 0 Prop 1 5 1 5 Flank 24 10 24 10 Hooker 12 15 12 15 Fullback / wing 6 5 – – Fly-half – – – – Eighth man 10 5 10 5 Note: Players' ages and statistics are correct as of 28 September 2019, the date of the opening round of the competition. Pro14 appearances only.

Player movements

Player movements between the 2018–19 Pro14 season and the end 2019–20 Pro14 season are as follows:

transfers 2018–19 — 2019–20 Pos 2018–19 squad Out In 2019–20 squad PR Aranos Coetzee Luan de Bruin Erich de Jager Günther Janse van Vuuren Johan Kotze Charles Marais Ox Nché Boan Venter Quintin Vorster Johan Kotze (released) Quintin Vorster (to ) Neethling Fouché (on loan from ) Khwezi Mona (on loan from ) Aranos Coetzee Luan de Bruin Erich de Jager Neethling Fouché (on loan) Günther Janse van Vuuren Charles Marais Khwezi Mona (on loan) Ox Nché Boan Venter HK Jacques du Toit Joseph Dweba Elandré Huggett Jannes Snyman Marnus van der Merwe Reinach Venter Jacques du Toit (to ) Elandré Huggett (released) Jannes Snyman (to ) Wilmar Arnoldi (from ) Wilmar Arnoldi Joseph Dweba Marnus van der Merwe Reinach Venter LK Justin Basson Louis Conradie JP du Preez Sintu Manjezi Sibabalo Qoma Walt Steenkamp Dennis Visser Louis Conradie (to Asia Pacific Dragons) Sibabalo Qoma (to ) Dennis Visser (released) Justin Basson JP du Preez Sintu Manjezi Walt Steenkamp FL Daniel Maartens Stephan Malan Oupa Mohojé Abongile Nonkontwana Gerhard Olivier Luigy van Jaarsveld Henco Venter Ntokozo Vidima Jasper Wiese Stephan Malan (to Lazio) Luigy van Jaarsveld (released) Ntokozo Vidima (to ) Sias Koen (on loan from ) Chris Massyn (from ) Sias Koen (on loan) Daniel Maartens Chris Massyn Oupa Mohojé Abongile Nonkontwana Gerhard Olivier Henco Venter Jasper Wiese N8 Aidon Davis Niell Jordaan Junior Pokomela Niell Jordaan (to ) Aidon Davis Junior Pokomela SH Dian Badenhorst Ruben de Haas Tian Meyer Zee Mkhabela Rudy Paige Shaun Venter Zee Mkhabela (to ) Rudy Paige (to ) Shaun Venter (Ospreys) Rewan Kruger (from ) Ruan Pienaar (from ) Dian Badenhorst Ruben de Haas Rewan Kruger Tian Meyer Ruan Pienaar FH Ryno Eksteen Louis Fouché Tian Schoeman Niell Stannard Ernst Stapelberg Ryno Eksteen (released) Niell Stannard (to ) Ernst Stapelberg (released) George Whitehead (on loan from ) Louis Fouché Tian Schoeman George Whitehead (on loan) CE Lloyd Greeff Benhard Janse van Rensburg Tertius Kruger Nico Lee Ali Mgijima William Small-Smith Dries Swanepoel Lloyd Greeff (released) Tertius Kruger (to ) Nico Lee (to ) Ali Mgijima (released) Chris Smit (from ) Benhard Janse van Rensburg William Small-Smith Chris Smit Dries Swanepoel WG Darren Adonis Carel-Jan Coetzee Vuyani Maqina Rabz Maxwane Darren Adonis (to South Africa Sevens Academy) Vuyani Maqina (released) Craig Barry (from ) Duncan Saal (from ) Craig Barry Carel-Jan Coetzee Rabz Maxwane Duncan Saal FB Adriaan Carelse Malcolm Jaer Tapiwa Mafura Rhyno Smith (on loan) Clayton Blommetjies (from ) Anthony Volmink (on loan from ) Clayton Blommetjies Adriaan Carelse Malcolm Jaer Tapiwa Mafura Rhyno Smith Anthony Volmink (on loan) Coach Franco Smith Hawies Fourie (from ) Hawies Fourie Franco Smith

Standings

The final Conference A log standings were:

2019–20 Pro14 Conference A Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts 1 15 15 0 0 531 216 +315 74 28 9 0 69 2 15 8 1 6 385 306 +79 50 40 7 3 44 3 15 8 0 7 364 329 +35 53 42 5 1 38 4 13 6 0 7 342 280 +62 48 32 5 2 32 5 15 5 1 9 283 415 –132 32 49 1 1 24 6 15 3 1 11 230 399 −169 29 56 4 3 21 7 15 2 2 11 205 375 −170 21 45 1 4 17

Round-by-round

The table below shows the Cheetahs' progression throughout the season. For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the conference position:

Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 QF SF Final Opposition Cumulative Points 5 10 15 16 17 17 21 21 26 31 31 31 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 Position 1st 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th Key: win draw loss bye

Matches

The fixtures for the 2019–20 Pro14 were:

Following round 13 the league was suspended until 22 August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however due to travel difficulties surrounding the pandemic, the Cheetahs were unable to complete their fixtures.

Player statistics

The Pro14 appearance record for players that represented the Cheetahs in 2019–20 is as follows:

2019–20 Cheetahs player statistics Player name App Try Con Pen DG Pts Ox Nché 1 1 1 1 4 1 0 0 0 5 Joseph Dweba 2 2 2 2 2 2 16 2 2 2 16 16 12 7 0 0 0 35 Erich de Jager 3 3 18 18 18 17 17 5 0 0 0 0 0 Sintu Manjezi 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 11 2 0 0 0 10 Walt Steenkamp 5 5 5 5 19 5 5 5 5 4 4 5 5 13 0 0 0 0 0 Gerhard Olivier 6 6 6 6 20 6 20 21 8 20 6 11 0 0 0 0 0 Junior Pokomela 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 13 3 0 0 0 15 Henco Venter 8 8 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ruan Pienaar 9 9 9 9 21 9 9 22 21 9 9 9 12 1 25 6 0 73 Tian Schoeman 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 23 10 10 10 10 10 12 0 8 3 0 25 Anthony Volmink 11 11 11 11 23 11 11 6 3 0 0 0 15 Dries Swanepoel 12 12 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 Benhard Janse van Rensburg 13 13 13 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 0 0 0 0 0 William Small-Smith 14 14 14 23 14 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 2 0 0 0 10 Rhyno Smith 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 14 13 10 0 0 0 50 Reinach Venter 16 16 16 17 4 1 0 0 0 5 Boan Venter 17 17 17 17 1 17 1 1 1 17 17 1 1 13 0 0 0 0 0 Luan de Bruin 18 3 18 17 1 3 18 18 18 18 3 3 12 1 0 0 0 5 JP du Preez 19 19 19 19 5 19 19 19 19 5 5 19 19 12 0 0 0 0 0 Sias Koen 20 20 20 20 6 20 20 7 1 0 0 0 5 Jasper Wiese 21 21 21 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 2 0 0 0 10 Tian Meyer 22 22 22 21 9 21 21 9 9 21 21 21 9 12 2 0 0 0 10 Louis Fouché 23 23 12 12 23 22 22 22 22 9 2 2 0 0 14 Neethling Fouché 18 18 2 0 0 0 0 0 Clayton Blommetjies 23 14 11 14 11 14 14 14 15 15 10 4 0 0 0 20 Aranos Coetzee 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 18 18 9 0 0 0 0 0 Wilmar Arnoldi 16 16 16 2 2 16 16 16 2 2 10 3 0 0 0 15 George Whitehead 22 22 22 22 10 22 4 0 0 1 0 3 Chris Massyn 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 1 0 0 0 5 Aidon Davis 8 8 20 19 19 20 8 7 1 0 0 0 5 Craig Barry 14 14 11 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 Marnus van der Merwe 16 20 2 0 0 0 0 0 Chris Smit 23 23 23 23 23 23 5 0 0 0 0 0 Rabz Maxwane 11 11 11 21 3 0 0 0 0 0 Charles Marais 1 1 17 17 4 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Maartens 20 1 0 0 0 0 0 penalty try – 1 – – – 7 Total 13 48 35 10 0 342 (c) denotes the team captain. For each match, the player's squad number is shown. Starting players are numbered 1 to 15, while the replacements are numbered 16 to 23. If a replacement made an appearance in the match, it is indicated by . "App" refers to the number of appearances made by the player, "Try" to the number of tries scored by the player, "Con" to the number of conversions kicked, "Pen" to the number of penalties kicked, "DG" to the number of drop goals kicked and "Pts" refer to the total number of points scored by the player. Dian Badenhorst, Justin Basson, Adriaan Carelse, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Ruben de Haas, Malcolm Jaer, Günther Janse van Vuuren, Rewan Kruger, Tapiwa Mafura, Oupa Mohojé, Khwezi Mona, Abongile Nonkontwana and Duncan Saal were named in the squad for the season, but never included in a matchday squad.

See also

Cheetahs Pro14

References