Franco: SA fans have no idea how tough PRO14 is

Cape Town - Cheetahs coach Franco Smith says South African rugby fans have "no idea" how tough the PRO14 competition is.

Smith was speaking to Netwerk24 after the Cheetahs ended their 2018/19 PRO14 campaign with a 61-25 win over the Southern Kings in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

It was an impressive ending to a tough season for the Cheetahs - they won only eight of their 21 games and finished second from bottom in Conference A.

But Smith is positive for the team’s future in the competition.

"I think the squad developed well over the past season and now we've got more experienced PRO14 players. I think we’re now used to the competition and I'm excited about the consistency in some of our performances.

"But were judged on results and supporters in South Africa have no idea how tough the competition is. We're at the end (of the season) now but we know exactly what to do going forward."

Smith was emotional after the win over the Kings, as it’s likely to be his final match in charge of the Cheetahs.

He has been linked with the head coaching job of Italy's national side and the Cheetahs have already started looking for a new head coach.

Maties coach Hawies Fourie and Kings coach Deon Davids are believed to be on the shortlist for the job.