Relentless Cheetahs back at Currie Cup summit after hammering hopeless Lions

They might express their concern at times for the stop-start nature of the Currie Cup calendar to date, but match fitness is clearly not too much of a concern for the Cheetahs.

Hawies Fourie's charges were absolutely relentless in thrasing an abject Lions outfit 66-14 in Bloemfontein on Saturday evening, never taking the foot off the pedal despite almost seeing their early 17-0 deficit amounting to nothing because of a delay for lightning.

AS IT HAPPENED | Cheetahs v Lions

In fact, the match resumed within a minute of the cut-off time for an abandonment. 

As is customary, the Free Staters were full of running throughout yet what will please team management is how they weren't just focused on that.

While the opening tries for winger Malcolm Jaer and Daniel Kasende came from flowing attacking movements, the hosts were savvy enough to realise quickly that the Lions' lightweight pack wasn't going to mount much  of a resistance.

As a result, six of their tries came from close range as the Lions simply had no answer in the collisions, hooker Wilmar Arnoldi being the biggest beneficiary with a brace.

The vistors also conceded a penalty try from a maul.

It was a real statement from the log-leaders, who look far more like a URC franchise than their opponents.

Ironically, the Lions scored two tries from four incursions into the Cheetahs' 22m area though they simply didn't have enough possession or territory or defensive nous to test whether that relative ruthlessness might've made the game more competitive.

The strategy of splitting the URC and Currie Cup squads is a strategy that desperately needs to be re-looked at.

Point scorers:

Cheetahs - (38) 66

Tries: Wilmar Arnoldi (2), Malcolm Jaer, Daniel Kasende (2), penalty try, Gideon van der