Good 'practice run' for 14-man Cheetahs

MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs bounced back from this past Wednesday’s loss to the Western Force to record an impressive 45-21 win over the Griffons in Round Two of the Challenge Series in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Despite being reduced to 14 players for the final 10 minutes, the Cheetahs outscored their Free State neighbours by seven tries to three.

It was an ideal practice run ahead of the final match of the series, when the Cheetahs host the Emerging Ireland selection on Wednesday.

The win on Sunday was impressive, but the Cheetahs were not clinical enough – leaving too many opportunities going astray.

They dominated the set piece battle, with numerous scrum penalties and stealing line-outs on the Griffons’ feed.

However, captain Neels Volschenk admitted they still have a lot of work to do to iron out the mistakes that has ben bedeviling them since the Currie Cup season.

The Cheetahs opened the scoring, after a competitive opening quarter, when flank Ulrich Stander worked his way over. Fullback Andell Loubser added the conversion – 7-0.

It soon became 12-0, when hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg got an armchair ride over the line with a powerful maul.

The Griffons got on the board when scrumhalf Cheslin Arendse went over on the half-hour mark and flyhalf Duan Pretorius added the conversion – 7-12.

Wing Prince Nkabinde then scored twice, as the Cheetahs took a commanding 26-7 lead into the half-time break.

Flank Sisonke Vumazonke stretched the Cheetahs’ lead early in the second half, before hooker Willem van den Hever got a second for the Griffons.

Replacement hooker Vernon Paolo then got the armchair ride from a powerful Cheetahs maul – the conversion making it 40-14, with 30 minutes remaining.

With just under 10 minutes remaining, replacement Litha Nkula was red-carded for a dangerous high tackle – leaving the Cheetahs a man down.

Centre Jandre de Beer managed to expose the under-powered Cheetahs’ defence, scoring his team’s third try.

There was enough time for replacement scrumhalf Rewan Kruger to get a try – the final score 45-21.

* The Western Force pushed and probed after rallying from a 19-point deficit but ultimately fell short in a tight 24-29 loss to Emerging Ireland in warm conditions in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

In the Force’s second game of the Challenge series – after a 38-23 win over the Cheetahs four days earlier – the WA side showed industry and endeavour but couldn’t land a knockout blow despite numerous phases of attacking pressure after the final siren.

Three times the Force closed within five points of the Irish, including after Coby Miln’s 79th-minute penalty, before wave after wave of late pressure which saw the game extend four minutes beyond the final siren, including a Harry Potter carry into the 22, only for a side entry penalty to close the game out.

Emerging Ireland got the better of the Force with four tries to three, although the Irish scored all of theirs in the first half, including three in the first 20 minutes.

The Force will rue their slow start, particularly their discipline, with both of the Irish’s first two tries coming after penalties.

Yellow cards to Issak Fines-Leleiwasa and Darcy Swain later in the game didn’t help either.

Sunday’s scores and scorers follow below …

Emerging Ireland 29-24 Western Force

The scorers

For Emerging Ireland
Tries: Postlethwaite, Mullins, Jensen, Kendellen, Paulo, Smith
Cons: Prendergast 4
Pen: Prendergast

For the Western Force
Tries: Grealy, Landman, Dolly
Cons: Burey 2, Miln
Pen: Miln

Teams

Emerging Ireland: 15 Andrew Osborne, 14 Chay Mullins, 13 Hugh Cooney, 12 Jude Postlethwaite, 11 Sean O’Brien, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Ethan Coughlan, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Alex Kendellen (captain), 6 Alex Soroka, 5 Conor O’Tighearnaigh, 4 Cormac Izuchukwu, 3 Ronan Foxe, 2 Gus McCarthy, 1 Alex Usanov.
Replacements: 16 Danny Sheahan, 17 Scott Wilson, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Evan O’Connell, 20 Sean Edogbo, 21 Cormac Foley, 22 Charlie Tector, 23 Hugh Gavin.

Western Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Justin Landman, 13 Harry Potter, 12 Sio Tompkinson, 11 Ronan Leahy, 10 Max Burey, 9 Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa, 8 Reed Prinsep (captain), 7 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 6 Will Harris, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Sam Carter, 3 Tom Robertson, 2 Nic Dolly, 1 Harry Hoopert.
Replacements: 16 Tom Horton, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Tiaan Tauakipulu, 19 Lopeti Faifua, 20 Titi Nofoagatotoa, 21 Henry Robertson, 22 Coby Miln, 23 Divad Palu.

Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
Assistant referees: Scott Oliver, Clearance Khumalo
TMO: Stephan Geldenhuys

Cheetahs 45-21 Griffons

Scorers

For the Cheetahs
Tries: Stander, Janse van Rensburg, Nkabinde 2, Vumazonke, Paulo, Kruger
Cons: Loubser 5

For the Griffons
Tries: Arendse, Van den Hever, De Beer
Cons: Pretorius 3

Red card: Litha Nkula (Cheetahs, 71 – foul play, head contact with an opponent)

Teams

Cheetahs: 15 Andell Loubser, 14 Prince Nkabinde, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Franco Smith, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 George Lourens, 9 Ruben de Haas, 8 Neels Volschenk (captain), 7 Sisonke Vumazonke, 6 Ulrich Stander, 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Hencus van Wyk.
Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Dux Manyama, 18 Laurence Victor, 19 Pierre-Raymond Uys, 20 Friedle Olivier, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Litha Nkula, 23 Shaun Ray.

Griffons: 15 Keanu Vers, 14 Quan Eymann, 13 Chris Hollis, 12 Jandre de Beer, 11 Christiaan Nel, 10 Duan Pretorius, 9 Cheslin Arendse, 8 Mingo Piti, 7 Thomas Ongera, 6 Thato Mavundla, 5 Rian Olivier, 4 Lungi Mbiko, 3 Mthokozisi Gumede, 2 Willem van den Hever, 1 Xolani Jacobs.
Replacements: 16 Chadley Wenn, 17 Simon Westraadt, 18 Moango Ngundue, 19 Wikus Nieuwenhuis, 20 Curtly Thomas, 21 Jared Kruger, 22 Raven Smith, 23 Gilroy Philander.

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Ashton Ockhuys, Tiaan Engelbrecht
TMO: Ben Crouse

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