Johannesburg — THE Cheetahs have devised a special plan to counter the Stormers' watertight defence ahead of tomorrow's showdown at Newlands as they aim to build on their favourable start to the season and earn maximum points before touring in two weeks.

With two wins in four games, the Cheetahs appear to be in good nick this season, but the Stormers' quality of play is among the best in the series and their confidence levels are high, so tomorrow's clash should be a humdinger.

As a local derby, the game could be closer than expected, as the teams have a deep knowledge of each other's strengths and weaknesses.

The Bulls, meanwhile, will go in search of their fifth win tonight when they host the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld -- a game captain Victor Matfield said would be important to maintain their momentum before jetting off to Perth next week.

In other games the Lions take on the Crusaders in Christchurch tomorrow and the Sharks meet the Highlanders in Dunedin.

Cheetahs assistant coach Hawies Fourie showed great respect for the Stormers yesterday, but he backed his team to put up a good fight.

He also predicted that the match would serve as a stage for a few nail- biting individual battles -- between Springbok flanks Juan Smith and Schalk Burger, and flyhalves Naas Olivier and Peter Grant .

"The Stormers are a quality team and their defensive record this season says a lot about their character," said Fourie. "Their scrums and driving are also among the best in the series, so it is going to be a tough game. Fortunately we have a few plans to counter their defence and exciting style of play, but the effectiveness of it depends on how we control our possession."

Fourie played down concern that their bye last week may have disrupted their momentum and said they started training last Thursday to prevent such a situation.

Stormers coach Allister Coetzee was equally fired up and said his team would put their bodies on the line before their bye next week.

"It is going to be a tough game because the Cheetahs are in good form and they will want to show that they win consistently," he said.

"But we are determined to maintain our winning momentum. The guys know they can give everything because of the bye next week and we want to win before we go on tour. But to achieve this we have to match the Cheetahs physically and concede very few penalties."

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke and Matfield singled out a better defensive effort as one of the keys to victory against the Hurricanes and although this is an area that has let them down this season, they were confident the team had the goods to continue their impressive form.

Matfield, however, was wary that the Hurricanes would come out firing after back-to-back defeats, which resulted in coach Colin Cooper dropping several frontline players .

"They will certainly want to show what they can do. Regardless of their previous results, I think they are one of the best in the series. If we play to our potential, we should do well."

In the Sharks camp, coach John Plumtree seemed quietly optimistic that their bad luck could turn against the Highlanders, but he said this would require better accuracy .

"It's always tough to come back from SA, but they are a pretty courageous team," Plumtree said on the team's website. "They beat the Cheetahs, which is something we struggled to do and they play tougher at home so we know how difficult it's going to be. But if we can hold onto the ball and build periods of attack and defend well, we can win."

Plumtree named captain John Smit on the bench to give him a hard- earned rest, while rookie Patrick Lambie will start at fullback to cover for Stefan Terblanche, who replaces Odwa Ndungane on the wing.

Lions coach Dick Muir expected a gruelling test against the Crusaders and said a vastly improved defensive effort and denying the home side possession would be vital to prevent the home team from running riot.

The Blues host the Brumbies today and Western Force take on the Waratahs in Perth tomorrow.