Toyota Cheetahs head coach Frans Steyn has thrown his full support behind his young, inexperienced front row following their narrow 24-21 central derby defeat to the Suzuki Griquas.
Speaking at a news conference on 4 August 2026, Steyn reflected on his squad's ongoing evolution. He praised the Toyota Cheetahs' implementation of modern playing structures over the past year, noting they have vastly improved the team's competitiveness.
Steyn singled out 21-year-old loosehead prop Tebogo Nkosi and tighthead prop Frankie Dos Reis for their immense physical efforts during the intense Carling Currie Cup clash in Kimberley. The coach said that throwing young players into high-pressure situations is the only way to build depth and experience at this level.
"We’ve got young and inexperienced props, and the only way for them to learn is to be in those situations."
"I don’t think there are a lot of 21-year-olds and 23-year-olds who will go to Kimberley and stand firm in the scrum like they did, especially with so much emotion and in such a physical game. I’m happy with our guys."
“Frankie put in a massive shift,” he said. “Tebogo, for me, is a massive talent. He’s 21 years old.”
“The only way they’re going to learn is to play. We need to back them and make them better. This is the route we chose at the beginning, and we need to make it work.”
“The gaps between the players are getting closer. That’s a good thing for us.”