JOHN MITCHELL, writing on the Vodacom Rugby Portal, says the relationship between the Cheetahs players and coach Naka Drotské has clearly broken down.

The Cheetahs are clearly a team in self-survival mode rather than a collective that is thriving.

I experienced that situation as coach of the Lions in 2012, when the franchise was set to be relegated from Vodacom Super Rugby. The players had no more purpose, and it became a case of every man for himself. It was an awful environment to be in.

The head coach ends up getting isolated because there's only one of him and a whole squad of players, many of whom use their agents to push their agendas. But you cannot blame them because they need to secure their futures in a toxic environment.

Read the rest of Mitchell's column

Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images