Rhyno Smith made headlines in October when he backed Toyota Cheetahs to win a maiden Guinness PRO14 title off the back of a blistering start to the campaign which saw them claim three wins in the Championship’s opening three rounds.

And while his team have somewhat failed to live up to the hype that heavy wins over Glasgow Warriors, Ulster and Munster generated, the 26-year-old has certainly maintained a scintillating level of performance on an individual level.

Indeed, his latest heroics were on display at the weekend, with two late tries inspiring the Bloemfontein-based side to victory over Isuzu Southern Kings, thus avoiding what would have been a first defeat against their fellow countrymen.

Here we take a brief look at the bustling full-back’s rise to Guinness PRO14 prominence and review his impact on the ²⁰¹⁹⁄₂₀ season so far.

Journey to the Guinness PRO14

Despite going to a prominent high school in Paarl that produced Springboks like Corne Krige and Frans Malherbe, Smith was overlooked at provincial age-group level.

Having proved himself as a youngster at North-West University and with the Leopards, Smith earned a move to the Sharks, but his career somewhat stalled with a stop-and-start three year spell leaving the Springboks Sevens star frustrated.

Cue a move to the Cheetahs and the Guinness PRO14, firstly on loan in ²⁰¹⁸⁄₁₉ where he contributed towards a sixth-place finish in Conference A.

But having now established himself as one of Hawies Fourie’s most valuable assets, Smith is hoping to guide Cheetahs to their second Finals Series appearance in their third Guinness PRO14 season.