Lighting overshadows Cheetahs' record win
MATCH REPORT: The Cheetahs went top of the Currie Cup table with a 66-14 bonus-point victory over hapless Lions in Bloemfontein.
The win sees the Cheetahs leapfrog the Sharks and Bulls.
*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!
It was a very one-sided affair with the Bloemfontein scoring nine tries and being rewarded a penalty try.
For the Lions, it was another miserable outing. Currently, at the bottom of the log, Johannesburg only managed to score two tries and remain winless.
The Round five match was under major threat as it was paused after just 19 minutes due to extreme weather conditions at Free State Park on Saturday.
Heavy rain and lighting ensured that Referee Cwengile Jadezweni made the decision to stopped the match, however, not before the Cheetahs have scored three tries for the 17-0 lead.
Speaking during the lighting enforced break, Jadezweni explained: ” Should the lighting be within 10 kilometres, they have to leave the play of field.
He added: “The lightning has to move away by at least 20 kilometres before play can resume.”
Fortunately for the Cheetahs, the play resumed and they continued with their onslaught.
17-0 soon became 38-7 as the Free Staters headed to the break with a huge advantage.
They added a couple more tries to their tally in a dominant second half, while their opponents replied with a single score.
Two tries in the opening 20 minutes, by wings Malcom Jaer and Daniel Kasende, made for a bright home start as the Cheetahs showed their attacking intent early on.
Their effective lineout gave them plenty of good attacking options, with hooker Wilmar Arnoldi helping himself to a brace off the back of a powerful maul.
When play resumed, the visitors’ woes increased when flank Sibusiso Sangweni received a yellow card for an illegal attempt to stop another tryline-bound maul, which resulted in a penalty try.
Following a rare foray into the home team’s 22m territory, the Lions team hit back with their first try though No 8 Jarod Cairns who ran a great angle to run in for his maiden try of the campaign.
The Free Staters’ maul juggernaut continued, with replacement hooker Louis van der Westhuizen also joining into the try-scoring act, as well as reserve prop Conraad van Vuuren and loose forward Jeandre Rudolph.
Man of the match: Ruan Pienaar, as always dictated the play and was in fine form. However, our nod goes to Cheetahs flank Jeandré Rudolph. He was incredible on attack and make some solid runs. At the breakdown he was a menace and scored a try.
The scorers:
For Cheetahs:
Tries: Jaer, Kasende 2, Arnoldi 2, Penalty try, Van der Merwe, Van der Westhuizen, Van Vuuren, Rudolf
Cons: Pienaar 3, Steyn, Fortuin
For Lions
Tries: Cairns, Botha
Cons: Swanepoel 2
Yellow card: Sibusiso Sangweni (Lions, 26 – Repeated infringnements)
Teams
Cheetahs: 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Siyabonga Masuku, 9 Ruan Pienaar (captain), 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Jeandré Rudolph, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Aidon Davis, 3 Marné Coetzee, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Ockie Barnard, 20 Andisa Ntsila, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Reinhardt Fortuin, 23 David Brits.
Lions: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 James Mollentze, 12 Tyler Bocks, 11 Divan Rossouw, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Jurich Claasens, 8 Jarod Cairns, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Sibusiso Sangweni, 5 Simon Dionisio, 4 Lunga Ncube, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (captain), 2 Pieter Botha, 1 Jean-Pierre Smith.
Replacements: 16 Dameon Venter, 17 Banele Mthenjane, 18 Chergin Fillies, 19 Izan Esterhuizen, 20 MJ Pelser, 21 Ginter Smuts, 22 James Tedder, 23 Luke Rossouw.
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira, Local
TMO: Ben Crouse
