Cheetahs banking on their Boks

Free State Cheetahs captain Robert Ebersohn hopes the return of the Springboks to the domestic scene will help his team turn around their season.

The Bloemfontein-based side lost 30-37 to the Sharks at the weekend - their fifth defeat in their last six outings.

The Cheetahs dropped to the second-from-last on the standings, despite picking up a bonus point, and they must beat Western Province in their final round-robin clash if they hope to reach the play-offs and avoid a promotion-relegation series against the Eastern Province Kings.

Ebersohn admitted they had left themselves in a precarious position, but he believed they needed only one good performance to redeem themselves.

"It is very disappointing once again. We keep saying it week after week," Ebersohn said.

"We now have one game left to prove ourselves to people out there.

"We have some talented players like Raymond Rhule in the side, but rugby is a team sport. You need to play as a team."

Cheetahs and Province will be bolstered by the return of their Springbok players, making life even more difficult for the Bloemfontein said.

"Hopefully we can achieve cohesion in the game against Province next weekend," Ebersohn said.

"Anything can happen on the day.

"Yes, they do get back their Springbok players, but so do we, so we're hoping for a much better performance."

 SAPA