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Neels Volschenk did not hesitate when asked to name his best player after the Cheetahs survived a nervy finish to beat the Lions 29-27 in their Currie Cup 2026 opener at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. The answer was Faf de Klerk, and it was not close.
"Personally, I think he was our best player on the field today," the Cheetahs captain said. "He got us onto the front foot, and even his kicking game was outstanding." It was a statement of intent from the veteran Springbok scrumhalf, who marked his debut in orange with the kind of controlling, intelligent display that has defined his career at the highest level.
Volschenk was specific about what De Klerk brought. The No 9 identified space intelligently, kicked into the corners and the backfield to pin the Lions back, and his communication lifted those around him. "His communication and presence on the field also help the guys a lot, and we're very happy to have him here at the Cheetahs," Volschenk added. For a side that has shown inconsistency in recent outings, that kind of experience at the base of the scrum is a significant addition.
Coach Frans Steyn, the former Springbok, was less effusive about the overall performance despite the winning start. He acknowledged the Cheetahs had been without game time for three or four weeks and made clear that a single victory does not paper over the cracks. "We're going to have to sort things out very quickly if we really want to dominate this competition," Steyn said, pointing to defence, lineouts and costly errors as areas that need urgent attention.