I’ll come clean. I’ll admit it. I was one of those who at the beginning of the season wrote off the Toyota Cheetahs' chances in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby tournament.

 

Asked by a New Zealand magazine to pick the order that I thought the teams would finish – a bold thing to do before a start of a rugby season – I picked the Stormers to finish top and the Sharks third.

 

My call for the Toyota Cheetahs was a lowly 10th, based on the way they had performed in the past, their poor defensive record and the strength of some other teams – including a strong-looking Highlanders.

 

But as we all know, those who make predictions are bound to fail, and any team that looks good on paper may not be as effective on the hard tough fields of Super Rugby.

 

Looking back at it now I have to chuckle, to see how the season has actually turned out, and how wrong myself – and other pundits have been.

 

But this isn’t a column on how badly we predict things – remind me never to give any of you lotto numbers – but rather about the surprise package the Toyota Cheetahs have been this season.

 

Those who follow the Bloemfontein boys know there has always been something magical about the orange jersey.

 

We’ve all admired their style of play, the way they like to run the ball and their attacking prowess in a rugby world obsessed with defence.

 

We’ve watched again and again as they’ve flattered to deceive, how they’ve looked like absolute champions the one moment, only to fall to their own demons the next.

 

Come on, admit it – there’s a little bit of you that has cheered the Toyota Cheetahs on, who has smiled whenever they score a beautiful try and who admires the way they approach the game.

 

They say everyone in Bloemfontein feels like family. That the desolate fields of the Free State, the farming community and the wonderful way it manufactures the physical specimens that power SA Rugby on, are all symptomatic of the place where the cold bites colder and the smiles warm your heart.

 

And just as the Bloemfontein weather never fails to turn cold, the Toyota Cheetahs have always found a way to be their own worst enemies.

 

But not this year.

 

And that’s the point. The team that has always managed to capture admiration, has found the recipe to winning.

 

They’ve found confidence and style, a defensive structure that is exceptionally good at the moment, and an attitude that is hard not to admire. They may be playing a lot more structured than they have in the past, and may have chosen where to attack from a lot better, but they haven’t lost their attacking mindset.

 

Last year Naka Drotske and his coaching team were fighting for their lives after finishing last in a strength v strength Currie Cup system that was as brutal as it was entertaining.

 

But this year, with some adjustments, they’ve found a recipe that has been wonderful to watch.

 

Led by Adriaan Strauss, who grows in stature with every game, they continue to surprise. We continue to think the wheels may come off at any time, and they keep on proving us wrong.

 

Atter is the heart and soul of the team, which also has amazing attackers such as Piet van Zyl, Willie le Roux, Raymond Rhule, Robert Ebersohn and the cult-like figure of Coenie Oosthuizen. The same goes for Lappies Labuschagne, Lood de Jager and Trevor Nyakane.

 

Whatever happens this weekend against the Bulls, whatever the final outcome of this season is for the Toyota Cheetahs, they can stand proud.

 

I’ve never been so happy to be wrong about a team’s performance.

 

They’ve proved a lot of people wrong this year, simply by believing in themselves and continuing to play the sort of rugby we love them to play.

 

They’re a team that have captured the hearts and minds of a lot of people and wherever they might end up, their season is already a massive success.

 

South African rugby needs a strong, expansive team like the Toyota Cheetahs to do well. To remind us that the kick and chase, the rolling maul and the pick and go aren’t all that wins rugby matches.

 

We need the Toyota Cheetahs to remind us that rugby can be wonderful to watch.

 

Long may they continue…