Why the Cheetahs fell short against Scarlets

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHT: The match statistics have painted a picture of why the Cheetahs suffered a 17-20 defeat to the Scarlets in their Round Three Challenge Cup fixture in Llanelli on Friday.

The team from Bloemfontein stayed in the fight throughout the match and they even had a narrow lead at one stage in the second half.

However crucial lapses in concentration seemed to be their undoing in Wales.

Defence seems to be an issue and the stats will not be pretty for head coach Hawies Fourie in that area of the game.

Possession was fairly even in the match, but the Scarlets made better use of the ball with 23 defenders beaten compared to the Cheetahs' 11.

The missed tackle category also doesn’t make for pretty reading. The Cheetahs missed 23 tackles compared to Scarlets' 11.

Probably the key stat is the turnovers.

The Cheetahs lost possession in some key areas on the field and the stats are evidence of this.

They conceded 18 turnovers in the match and they only won eight turnovers.

The Scarlets on the other hand conceded 14 turnovers and won 10 turnovers.

One area the Cheetahs can feel proud of is their carries.

They notched up 400 metres from their 93 carries. The Scarlets managed more carries (111), but they only got 344 metres.

However, the Cheetahs will be kicking themselves that they didn't get more out of their metres gained on attack.

See the stats below

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