The Cheetahs’ persistent scrum woes proved costly in their 21-6 defeat to the Waratahs on Saturday, according to SARugbymag.co.za's Opta-powered stats.

The Bloemfontein-based side has had the worst scrum success in the competition (70%), while on average the Cheetahs have seen one of their scrums per game stolen by the opposition, the most of any team.

Although coach Franco Smith reshuffled the pack for Saturday’s match, which included an all-new front row, the Cheetahs' troubles at scrum time continued to haunt them. Overall, they conceded seven scrum penalties, while the Waratahs benefited from a 100% scrum success in the first half, which laid the platform for their victory.

Besides the Cheetahs’ scrum problems, they also coughed up possession far too easily. Overall, they conceded 22 turnovers and 13 penalties, while also committing 17 handling errors.

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Photo: William West/AFP Photo