The Free Staters need to return to winning ways to remain within striking range of their rivals for a Guinness Pro14 playoff spot. The sides meet in Dublin on Friday.
The Toyota Cheetahs will have to be sharp on attack and defence from the outset, as Leinster are the only team to have scored more than 500 points this season, while they conceded 207 points – only seven more than Munster, who boast the best defensive record in the competition.
With five pool games remaining – including this match – for the Toyota Cheetahs to force their way into the top three in Conference A for a playoff spot, and the team already trailing their pool contenders, the Cardiff Blues and Munster, by six points, they will enter the clash under pressure to register a victory to avoid slipping too far behind as the pool stages draw to a close.
With the Toyota Cheetahs’ Rabz Maxwane and Shaun Venter being among the top try scorers in the competition, and Tian Schoeman fifth on the list of top points scorers, however, Leinster will be wary of the threat the visitors pose.
The teams have crossed paths only once before in the competition in 2017, with the Toyota Cheetahs winning that encounter 38-19 in Bloemfontein.
Match Information:
Date: Friday, 1 March
SA time: 21h35
Venue: RDS Arena, Dublin
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (IRFU) and Wayne Davies (WRU)
TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU)
TV: SS1
