Cheetahs remain unbeaten despite Lions scare
MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs remain unbeaten with a 35-26 win over Lions at Ellis Park on Friday.
Trailing 17-26 after 60 minutes, the men from Bloemfontein turned things around in the last quarter to make it eight wins from eight games, whilst the Highvelders slumped to their ninth loss in a row.
*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!
The result means the Cheetahs recorded their eighth consecutive victory and secured the top spot on the Currie Cup table – pending the result between Bulls and Griquas on Saturday.
The Cheetahs outscored the Highvelders by four tries to two as they registered another deserved bonus-point win on the road.
Ruan Pienaar, their inspirational skipper and scrumhalf, led from the front as the Free Staters had to fight back on more than one occasion to eventually down a spirited Lions team who were desperate for their first win of the campaign.
Tiaan Swanepoel, the Lions fullback, succeeded with six from eight goal kicks attempts for a personal tally of 16 points, while Pienaar managed to kick three penalties and three conversions in his contribution of 15 points to their winning cause.
After they withstood a fiece opening spell from the Free Staters – during which time the visitor had two tries disallowed – the home side went into the halftime break 20-14 in front. The difference between the two teams was the two Swanepoel penalties.
The Toyota Cheetahs scored both their first half tries through mauls. No 6 flank Gideon van der Merwe grabbed their first five-pointer while hooker Marnus van der Merwe dotted down for their second converted try from a similar passage of play to edge them 14-13 ahead.
Stean Pienaar (wing) and Lindo Ncusane (flank) each dotted down for the white and red jerseys, while Swanepoel added the extras via two conversions and a couple of penalty goals.
Sanele Nohamba, the Lions’ newest signing from the Sharks, made his debut off the bench for his new team halfway through the first half when he replaced skipper Andre Warner. That was before Swanepoel had landed two more penalty kicks to put his side 26-17 ahead.
Cheetahs left wing Duncan Saal dived over in the corner as the orange jerseys made sure they stay in the fight with their third try which Pienaar brilliantly converted from the edge of the touchline.
When Pienaar slotted his second penalty kick of the evening it was the team from Bloemfontein who regained the lead at 27-26 with eleven minutes remaining on the clock.
That try signalled the huge momentum in favour of the visitors, who added a fourth try through replacement hooker Louis van der Merwe for their vital bonus point.
In doing so, Hawies Fourie’s team regained the top spot on the log with 36 points from their eight wins, leaping over the Bulls who have 32 points from the same number of games.
The defending champions host the Griquas tomorrow at Loftus in Pretoria.
Man of the match: Hooker Jaco Visagie produced yet another solid display and was the standout performer for the Lions. Tiaan Swanepoel and try-scorer Lindo Ncusane also deserve a mention, respectively. For the Cheetahs Jeandrè Rudolph put in a noteworthy show, but Ruan Pienaar deserves the nod. The Cheetahs No.9 dictated the match and his experience was very vital in the closing minutes of the match.
The scorers:
For Lions:
Tries: Pienaar, Ncusane
Cons: Swanepoel 2
Pens: Swanepoel 4
For CHeetahs:
Tries: G Van der Merwe, M. Van der Merwe, Saal, Van der Westhuizen
Cons: Pienaar 3
Pens: Pienaar 3
Yellow cards: Junior White (Lions, 69 – High tackle), Sibusiso Sangweni (Lions, 78 – Deliberate knock down)
Teams:
Lions: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Boldwin Hansen, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Manuel Rass, 11 Stean Pienaar, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Andre Warner (captain), 8 Jarod Cairns, 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Lindo Ncusane, 5 Cal Smid, 4 Lunga Ncube, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Jean-Pierre Smith.
Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Heiko Pohlmann, 18 Jannie du Plessis, 19 Junior White, 20 Mark Snyman, 21 Sanele Nohamba, 22 Luke Rossouw, 23 Ilunga Mukendi.
Cheetahs: 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 David Brits, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Duncan Saal, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar (captain), 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Jeandrè Rudolph, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Aidon Davis, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Marne Coetzee, 19 Ockie Barnard, 20 Andisa Ntsila, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Robert Ebersohn.
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira, Hernus Coetzee
TMO: Quinton Immelman
