Cheetahs coach Naka Drotsk¿ says his side is desperate to find positive momentum, following three consecutive losses since the start of the Super Rugby competition.

"We seriously need a victory, considering that we lost two of the matches in the last minutes," Drotské said on Wednesday ahead of his team's match against the Rebels in Melbourne on Sunday.

The Bloemfontein-based side were left reeling after a controversial last-minute scrum penalty went against them, which saw them losing by a narrow 23-24 to the Brumbies in Canberra.

Referee Keith Brown came under severe scrutiny because of his handling of the game, in particular his interpretation of the scrums - which saw the Cheetahs on the receiving end of a number of penalties late in the game.

Drotské however said the team would not dwell on last weekend's disappointment, and rather set its sights on clinching a crucial victory over the Rebels.

"We've left the match behind us. We had many opportunities to clinch the game, but sometimes made the wrong decisions. Hopefully we can get it right this weekend."

SAPA