Hawies Fourie says last season’s semi-final loss to the Pumas sparked the turnaround which has seen the Cheetahs set up a re-match in the Currie Cup final in Bloemfontein.

Last season, the Pumas snatched a thrilling 38-35 victory over the Cheetahs in the semi-final in Bloemfontein, after a last-gasp converted try from centre Ali Mgijima.  Jimmy Stonehouse’s side then travelled to Kimberley and outplayed Griquas at a sold-out Griqua Park to snatch their first-ever Currie Cup title.

Speaking ahead of the final, head coach Fourie opened up on how losing in last year’s semi-final set the Cheetahs on the road that would see them host this year’s final.

“It was tough on all of us, especially me, that we lost,” says Fourie. “It wasn’t easy to get over, but at some time you have to let go and make peace with it, and start working towards the next campaign.

“We learned lessons and know what didn’t work for us. We started with the new process last July, so it is 11 months on.

“One of the big things was our conditioning. I think we are really well-conditioned. The guys are stronger and fitter than last year so that will help us a lot. We faded towards the end of the second half in this year’s semi-final, but I think we have played 15 games and only lost the second half once. That was against the Sharks in the rain in Durban.

“We have a lot of confidence in what we do and how we do it. It’s been a long process to become a better team than we were a year ago. It wasn’t fixed in a week.”

The Cheetahs have an opportunity to win their first title since 2019 and their seventh Currie Cup overall.

The hosts are coming into the final on the back of four unbeaten games, which has boosted their confidence.

“I feel it’s a lot better than last year,” says Fourie. “We struggled towards the back end of the competition last year, we had a heavy loss against Griquas and lost by a point against Pumas. It was close to the semi-finals and the confidence was a bit low.

“This year, it’s almost the opposite. We went through a bad patch and then got a draw with Griquas and three wins in a row. It helps a lot with the confidence and the vibe in the camp. There is healthy competition in the squad and the non-playing squad is also training very well.

“It makes a big difference. Sometimes guys tend not to focus in sessions and make a lot of mistakes, then the quality of those training sessions drops, but this year, it’s high-quality sessions that will help us towards the final.”

While confidence in the Bloemfontein camp is high, Fourie is still wary of the threat posed by the Pumas, who upset the Sharks in the second semi-final in Durban.