Cheetahs survive Lions comeback in thrilling Currie Cup opener
MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs held their nerve to claim a thrilling 29-27 Currie Cup victory over the Lions in Bloemfontein on Sunday, surviving a frantic final assault to secure a hard-fought opening-round win.
It took a last-gasp defensive stand to separate the sides after the Lions mounted a spirited second-half comeback, only for Rabz Maxwane’s final pass to drift forward as the hooter sounded.
The hosts struck first through the reliable boot of Jaco van der Walt, who slotted an early penalty before hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg crashed over from a well-executed rolling maul to make it 8-0.
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The Lions hit back with a penalty from Sam Francis before producing the first moment of magic when Likhona Finca sliced through the defence after a series of superb offloads to level matters.
The Cheetahs, however, continued to dominate territory and were rewarded when sustained pressure eventually resulted in another try, allowing them to edge back in front.
Van der Walt added a late penalty to stretch the lead before the Cheetahs gifted the visitors a lifeline on the stroke of half-time. A costly error deep inside their own half allowed the Lions to pounce for a converted try, cutting the deficit to 16-13 at the break.
The visitors carried that momentum into the second half, producing a superb team try just three minutes after the restart to take the lead for the first time at 20-16.
The Cheetahs responded with relentless pressure but squandered a golden opportunity when Clayton Blommetjies knocked on over the try-line.
They refused to be denied, though, and lock Victor Sekekete eventually muscled his way over after another sustained attacking spell. Van der Walt’s missed conversion left the home side holding only a slender one-point advantage.
Moments later, the Cheetahs struck again. Brilliant handling and slick offloading released Cohen Jasper down the touchline for a superb finish in the corner to seemingly put the hosts in control.
But the Lions immediately answered. Finca grabbed his second try under the posts, with Francis converting to hand the visitors a dramatic 27-26 lead entering the closing stages.
The pendulum swung once more with five minutes remaining when Van der Walt calmly slotted a penalty to restore the Cheetahs’ advantage at 29-27.
That set up a tense finale as the Lions launched wave after wave of attack deep into Cheetahs territory. They looked poised to snatch victory, but Maxwane’s final pass went to ground, bringing an enthralling contest to an end.
It was a fitting finish to a pulsating Currie Cup opener, with the Cheetahs showing just enough composure in the decisive moments to deny a spirited Lions comeback and begin their campaign with a valuable victory.
Scorers:
For Cheetahs:
Tries: Janse van Rensburg, Uys, Jasper, Sekekete
Pens: Van der Walt 3
For Lions:
Tries: Finca 3, Nela
Cons: Francis 2
Pens: Francis
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Cohen Jasper, 13 Munier Hartzenberg, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Michael Annies, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Neels Volschenk (captain), 7 Juan Venter, 6 Ramon Uys, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Tielman Niewoudt.
Replacements: 16 Juan Smal, 17 Dux Manyama, 18 Frankie Dos Reis, 19 Simon Muller, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Ethan Wentzel, 23 Prince Nkabinde.
Lions: 15 Latica Nela, 14 Kegan Smith, 13 Likhona Finca, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Sam Francis, 9 Zian Cilliers, 8 Morné Venter, 7 Jarod Cairns, 6 Renzo du Plessis, 5 Ruan Delport (captain), 4 Dylan Shöblom, 3 Conrad van Vuuren, 2 Armand Combrink, 1 Morgan Naude
Replacements: 16 Mahle Sithole, 17 Cecil Parsons, 18 Ruan Swart, 19 Tiaan Wessels, 20 Thando Biyela, 21 Layton Horn, 22 Matthew Coetzee, 23 Exauce Kevani
Referee: Dylen November
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs, Jonathan Lottering
TMO: Egon Seconds
