Smith: Cheetahs will test our defence

CHIEFS ASSISTANT coach Wayne Smith reckons the Cheetahs will present his side’s toughest defensive challenge when the two teams clash in Bloemfontein this weekend.

Dave Rennie’s men have only conceded six tries and 103 points in their six games this season.

Only the unbeaten Stormers, who have let in one more try, have conceded fewer points (97).

But Smith is wary of the Cheetahs given their squad make-up and the brand of rugby they play.

“They certainly play good rugby,” he told the Waikato Times.

“They're fairly patterned in terms of setting up go-forward ball and then using it out wide.

“But they'll be a real test; they'll probably be our biggest test to date because they've got big ball runners, have got real fast support on them and they play a great brand of rugby.

“It's certainly a different challenge to the last two or three weeks when it's been a bit more traditional rugby. This will be a bit more open and a bit more difficult to mark up on.”

The Chiefs, who have won their last five games on the bounce, are due to name their side on Thursday.