Cheetahs win humdinger catfight against Lions

MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs won a frenetic Currie Cup round five encounter against the Lions in Bloemfontein on Saturday, edging out the visitors by 47-31.

The game was ill-disciplined at times as the four yellow cards suggest.

The Cheetahs started off with some aggressive plays and progressed quickly to the Lions half, setting up camp in the 22 and winning a couple of penalties in contact.

Soon thereafter Lubabalo Dobela of the Lions got his marching orders for a high tackle. The home side made full use of their numerical advantage as their hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg crossed the whitewash twice in quick succession.

The Cheetahs were off to a brilliant start, and from a solid set piece Cheetahs wing Prince Nkabinde showed wheels for days and scored their third try – all within the first 17 minutes of play.

After the first quarter of play it was Cheetahs 19-0 Lions.

The Lions’ robust lock Ruben Schoeman, showing his frustration, played the ball offside from a ruck and got his marching orders, the second Lions player to be sinbinned in the first half.

In this time the Cheetahs’ fourth bonus point try came at the hands of Clayton Blommetjies, scoring his first try of the season.

Eventually the Lions got across the whitewash as fullback Gianni Lombard finished off a great team try.

At halftime the visitors were trailing 5-26.

The Lions came out firing in the second half, launching phase after phase.

And they were rewarded when hooker Morne Brandon crashed over after resilience and composure.

Sam Francis converted to take them to 12-26.

But the Cheetahs hit back through quick play, sending the ball through the hands and Michael Annies dived over in the far corner. Blommetjies converted, sending his team way in front by 33-12.

It turned into a real humdinger as the Lions got right back in through some beautiful interplay, and Angelo Davids finished off a well-worked try.

The Cheetahs seemed frazzled as the Lions kept on coming at them, and almost got over again in the corner, but the player was bundled out and the gap opened up and scrumhalf Nico Steyn rushed through.

It was a seven-point game at this stage with the Lions that upped their pace and intensity, signifying a game of two halves.

Then it was the turn of Rynhardt Jonker after a clever grubber by Steyn to dot down, and the visitors were now only trailing by 31-33.

Body language showed the Lions were oozing confidence while the Cheetahs realised they were in for a fight till the bitter end.

As if things could get any worse, the Cheetahs then lost their general, Franco Smith for ten minutes after a high tackle on Jonker.

Ten minutes to go and it was a wave of red sending the Cheetahs scattering.

But they managed to turn possession, and Nkabinde set off at a blistering pace, getting caught just short of the line.

Juan Venter picked up from there, but was interfered with by Lombard, who deliberately knocked the ball, earning himself a yellow card and a penalty try awarded to the Cheetahs.

The Cheetahs hammered the final nail in the Lions’ coffin after Jandre Nel scored having sniped around the ruck at close range.

Man of the Match: Prince Nkabinde showed pace, intent, and power, not only when he scored his try, but also on defence. He is a powerhouse of a wing.

Scorers:

For Cheetahs:
Tries: Janse van Rensburg 2, Nkabinde, Blommetjies, Annies, Penalty Try, Nel
Cons: Kruger, Cohen 2, Blommetjies 3
Pen: Blommetjies

For Lions:
Tries: Lombard, Brandon, Davids, Steyn, Jonker
Cons: Francis 3

Yellow cards: Lubabalo Dobela (Lions; 5’ – high tackle); Ruben Schoeman (Lions, 31’ – off-side); Franco Smith (Cheetahs; 66’ – high tackle); Gianni Lombard (Lions, 69’ – deliberate knock-on)

Teams:

Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Prince Nkabinde, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Ali Mgjijima, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Franco Smith, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Neels Volschenk, 7 Mihlali Mosi, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Juan Venter, 3 Frankie dos Reis, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Cameron Dawson
Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Ben Pitout, 19 Thabang Mahlase, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Jandre Nel, 22 Banie Britz, 23 Michael Annies

Lions:15 Gianni Lombard, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Kelly Mpeku, 10 Lubabalo Dobela, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Jarod Cairns, 7 Siba Qoma, 6 Renzo du Plessis, 5 Darrien Landsberg (captain), 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 RF Schoeman, 2 Morne Brandon, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Dylan Sjoblom, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Layton Horn, 22 Sam Francis, 23 Tapiwa Mafura

Referee: Dylen November
Assistant Referees: Paul Mente, Daniel Canhenga
TMO: Ben Crouse